Prof. Boswell gives popular presentation at Waupaca Area Library

UW-Green Bay Associate Prof. Caroline Boswell (Humanities) presented “Ye Olde Pub: A Social and Cultural History of England’s Early Drinking Houses,” at the Waupaca Area Public Library, Monday. Sept. 17. Her presentation dug into the rich early history of those temples of British culture: the pubs. Beyond their charm and antiquity, these centuries-old drinking establishments were historic centers for social and political activity. In medieval and early modern England drinking houses — alehouses, inns, and taverns — were vital hubs of sociability, culture and news. Although drinking houses formed an integral part of the social lives of many English men and women, some feared these “dens of iniquity” bred seditious toasts and songs, subversive speeches against church and state, and lewd behavior. More than 50 people attended the event.