The Consulate General of Greece in Boston and College Year in Athens are delighted to co-host a celebratory lecture commemorating the bicentennial of the Greek War of Independence.

On Wednesday, 17 March 2021, at 12 p.m. (EDT) / 6 p.m. (Athens), guest speaker Dr.

Alexander Kitroeff, Professor of History at Haverford College and a Member of CYA’s Academic Advisory Roundtable, will discuss the American philhellenic movement during the Greek Revolution.

The wave of philhellenism that swept through the United States with the outbreak of the Greek War of Independence in 1821 included the establishment of “Greek committees” in Boston, New York and Philadelphia and the arrival of several American volunteers in Greece among whom was Bostonian Samuel Gridley Howe. What facilitated the emergence of philhellenism was the growing American fascination with Classical Greece that was expressed through the growth of Greek Revival architecture and an interest in Greece itself and the first visits there by Americans, Edward Everett from Massachusetts and Nicholas Biddle from Pennsylvania. What was also remarkable was the growing interest in the Greek struggle for freedom throughout the United States during the 1820s. This presentation offers an overall picture of the wide parameters of American philhellenism and explores the reasons for its depth and breadth during this period.

Please register below to receive your link to join. 

We hope you can join us for what will be a fascinating talk about the Greek Revolution and the friendship between the Greeks and Americans at the time.