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Panel #3: The Great Migration: Military Service and the Shaping of a Diversified New Hampshire

February 16, 2025 | 2 PM | Portsmouth Public Library

In The Art of War, Sun Tzu highlights the importance of using terrain to one’s advantage. For African Americans, navigating the U.S. political and social landscape often required knowing when and where to engage. Many viewed military service as a means of achieving social mobility, financial security, and proving their patriotism.

This panel will examine the integration of military bases in New Hampshire—such as Pease, the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, and Grenier in Manchester—and how these bases contributed to the state’s diversification. Panelists will also discuss how military service became a tool for asserting rights and claiming full citizenship.

More details to come.