Public Lecture with Dr. Jeremy Prestholdt

On 24 September, Dr. Jeremy Prestholdt, University of California, San Diego, delivered a lecture at SQCC on the extraordinary voyage of the Sultana. The Sultana, the flagship of Sultan Sayyid Said bin Sultan, traveled from Zanzibar to New York City in 1840 as a trading and diplomatic mission, carrying with it the first Arab envoy to the United States, Ahmad bin Na’aman  Al Kaabi. This important vessel arrived to great fanfare in New York City and made headlines across the United States. Among its cargo were multiple gifts for President Martin Van Buren, including carpets, Arabian horses, and pearl jewelry. Many of these gifts were eventually accepted by the State Department. These gifts, in turn, became part of the Smithsonian collection. The voyage of the Sultana was critical to the continued development of U.S.-Oman trade relations, as well as further solidifying diplomatic ties first established in the 1833 Treaty of Amity and Commerce. After Dr. Prestholdt’s lecture, he participated in a Q&A session with the audience.

Video of the event can be viewed here.