The Politicization of Shoes: Purchasing Patriotism During the Revolutionary Era, 1760s–1770s
Thursday, September 24, 2026, 5:30–6:30 PM
Portsmouth Historical Society, 10 Middle Street, Portsmouth

As part of the Revolutionary Portsmouth Lecture Series, a partnership between Portsmouth Historical Society and Strawbery Banke Museum, Dr. Kimberly Alexander explores how everyday consumer choices became acts of political expression during the Revolutionary era. Focusing on shoes as a case study, she reveals how American women supported boycotts of English goods by purchasing locally made footwear and repairing existing pairs, helping disrupt British industry and advance the cause of independence.

Dr. Kimberly Alexander is a Senior Lecturer and Director of Museum Studies in the History Department at the University of New Hampshire. A former curator at institutions including the MIT Museum, Peabody Essex Museum, and Strawbery Banke Museum, she specializes in material culture and dress history. Her publications include Treasures Afoot: Shoe Stories from the Georgian Era and Fashioning the New England Family.