April Greenan, assistant professor of Musicology, has presented her research on Francis Hopkinson, a key figure of the American Revolution, in an article in the Encyclopedia of the American Enlightenment published this month by Bloomsbury.
Hopkinson was a signer of the Declaration of Independence, a federal judge, inventor, prolific writer of satire, composer and designer of the American flag and the Seal of the United States.
In 1776, George Washington tasked Hopkinson with managing the new nation’s debt and overseeing the incipient navy. He engineered a plan that reclaimed the port of Philadelphia from British occupation. Hopkinson also composed music for public events and dedicated several of his songs to Washington.
It is refreshing to see that someone in academia still desires to maintain a link to the important past of this nation and its significant personalities – men and women who indeed devoted their best in the way of talent, commitment, and treasure to the fledgling new nation.