Image courtesy of Colonial National Historical Park, Yorktown.

Friday, December 20, 2019

2020 Dues

We will begin collecting dues for 2020 at next month's meeting. Dues are still only $20.00 per year, with $5.00 of that going towards our preservation efforts. For more information and to print the member information form, click on the "Dues" tab in the top menu.

Reenlist now!

Friday, November 22, 2019

Next Meeting: January 15, 2020


Christian M. McBurney


Join us on January 15, 2020 as we kick-off the new year with Christian McBurney's presentation on "Charles Lee's Court Martial."

Meetings are held in the Westhampton Room, Heilman Dining Center (dining hall--building 410 on the campus map), University of Richmond, at 6:30 p.m. with dinner available for purchase beginning at 5:30 p.m.

Please plan on joining us!

University of Richmond campus map: 
http://www.richmond.edu/visit/maps/print/campus.pdf

2020 Harry M. Ward Book Prize Nominees

Turncoat: Benedict Arnold and the Crisis of American Liberty, by Stephen Brumwell.  Yale University Press, 2018

Southern Gambit: Cornwallis and the British March to Yorktown, by Stanley D. M. Carpenter. University of Oklahoma Press, 2019.

Contest for Liberty: Military Leadership in the Continental Army, 1775-1783, by Seanegan P. Sculley. Westholme Publishing, 2019.

A Crisis of Peace: George Washington, the Newburgh Conspiracy, and the Fate of the American Revolution, by David Head. Pegasus Books, 2019.

Founding Martyr: The Life and Death of Dr. Joseph Warren, the American Revolution’s Lost Hero, by Christian Di Spigna. Crown Books, 2019.

The Road to Charleston: Nathanael Greene and the American Revolution, by John Buchanan. University of Virginia Press, 2019.

Washington’s Revolutionary War Generals, by Stephen R. Taaffe. University of Oklahoma Press, 2019.

Ten Crucial Days: Washington’s Vision for Victory Unfolds, by William L. Kidder. Knox Press, 2019.

Revolutionary: George Washington at War, by Robert L. O’Connell. Random House, 2019.

2020 Meeting Speakers and Topics

The speakers and topics for our 2020 meetings are listed under the "Meetings" tab above. We hope to see you at all of them!

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

"How Naval Architecture Saved the American Revolution": November 19, 2019

On November 19, 2019 at 6:00 p.m., Dr. Larrie D. Ferreiro will speak at the Society of Naval Architects (SNAME) Hampton Roads section on “How Naval Architecture Saved the American Revolution”. 

Hampton Yacht Club
4707 Victoria Blvd
Hampton, VA 23669

Non-SNAME members can attend.

For more information or to register:
https://www.sname.org/hamptonroadssection/home

Meeting Notes: September 18, 2019

"Delaware's John Dickinson: The Constant Watchman of Liberty," John Sweeney 

Pre-Guest Speaker Notes:
ARRT-R’s next meeting is scheduled for 11/20/19 at Heilman Dining Center at the University of Richmond – dinner service begins at 5:30 p.m. – the speaking program begins at 6:30 p.m.

Guest Speaker – John Sweeney – Editor – Delaware’s John Dickinson: The Constant Watchman of Liberty
 
This book is a collection of essays and lectures published by the Delaware Heritage Commission. It explores the life and career of John Dickinson, whose influential role as a colonial patriot and statesman of the early Republic earned him the nickname “Penman of the Revolution”.

The publication features contributions from former Delaware governors J. Caleb Boggs, Charles L. Terry Jr. and Russell W. Peterson; former Delaware Supreme Court justices Randy J. Holland, Richard S. Rodney and James M. Tunnell, Jr.; historians Jane E. Calvert, Milton E. Flower, John A. Munroe, J.H. Powell, Frederick B. Tolles and Edwin Wolf II; Harold L. Rubendall, former president of Dickinson College; and Gloria Henry and Vertie Lee of the John Dickinson Plantation.

The book was commissioned by the Friends of the John Dickinson Mansion, a nonprofit, charitable organization dedicated to the extension of knowledge about Dickinson and the preservation of his historic home, now a state museum. The book was produced as a joint effort of the Friends, the Delaware Department of State and the Delaware Heritage Commission.

“John Dickinson – The Most Important Founder You Have Never Heard Of”

After several years of legal training in London, Dickinson returned to the colonies. In 1760, he was elected to the Delaware legislature. Over the next fifteen years he would serve in both the Delaware and Pennsylvania legislatures. The fact that he owed property in both colonies allowed him to serve in both at the same time. 

Dickinson was appointed to represent the Pennsylvania colony at the Stamp Act Congress in 1765. He defended the proposition that reconciliation was possible if the King and parliament could be brought to see colonial opposition as an expression of the time–honored English principles of political liberty. His arguments were encapsulated in his Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania, a series of essays that gained him recognition as a man of principle and reason.

Dickinson served as a representative to both the First and Second Continental Congresses.
Dickinson’s continuing belief in reconciliation led to a terrible relationship with John Adams. Adams attempted to minimize Dickinson’s role in the Continental Congress. In fact, Dickinson's belief in reconciliation led him to refuse to sign the Declaration of Independence.

However, once the revolution began, Dickinson served as both an officer and enlisted soldier in the American Army. In addition, during the Revolution, Dickinson served as governor of both Delaware and Pennsylvania.

Dickinson was an early foe of slavery. He was born into a slave-owning family but became 
an abolitionist. Dickinson freed all of his slaves at the time of the Revolution, and in 1785 sponsored a bill in the Delaware Legislature abolishing slavery in the state. That bill failed, but the Legislature did encourage slave owners in the state to free them. In addition to freeing all of his slaves, Dickinson also provided for their education, shelter, and food, and gave them paying jobs on the plantation. It took another eighty years and a Civil War before Delaware’s Legislature joined the nation in freeing all slaves.

Dickinson Notes:

Dickinson married Mary Norris. Norris was the daughter of a successful politician. She was 
highly educated and one of the richest women in the colonies.

Dickinson was the first person to use the phrase “American People”.

Dickinson is the namesake of Dickinson College.

--Noah Rogers

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

6th Congress of American Revolution Round Tables: November 9, 2019

The Congress of American Revolution Round Tables will meet in Philadelphia, PA on November 9, 2019.

The agenda and additional information:

6th CONTINENTAL CONGRESS of AMERICAN REVOLUTION ROUNDTABLES
                                           PHILADELPHIA  -  2019 -   AGENDA

Friday, November 8th:  Early arrival Delegates and guests meet for dinner at 6:00pm. at Spasso’s Italian restaurant. http://www.spassoitaliangrill.com/ 
Saturday, November 9th:
09:00-11:00    Meet at Museum of the American Revolution (MOAR) for two-hour tour on own. 3rd and Chestnut Streets. First hour before open to the public!
11:00-11:30    Welcome and Opening Remarks:
·        David Reuwer (Congress Vision)
·        Scott Stephenson/ZeeAnn Mason, MOAR
·        Bill Welsch (Starting a Roundtable)
11:30-12:15    Roundtable Reports, Practices & Ideas (Established Roundtables in the order in which the States ratified the Constitution and admitted to the Union)
          Delaware       
          Pennsylvania            
New Jersey    

12:15-01:15    Lunch and Planning for the 250th American Revolution Anniversary
·        250th National Park Service representative
·        American Battlefield Trust representative

01:15-02:00    State Roundtable Reports continued.
          Georgia
          Massachusetts
          South Carolina
02:00-02:15    Break
02:15-03:00    State Roundtable Reports continued.
          Virginia
          New York
North Carolina
          Northwest Territory (Chicago, Illinois)
03:00-03:15    Break
03:15-4:15     250th Activities, Prospect Reports and Comments from other attendees
Connecticut, Maryland, New Hampshire, Rhode Island
Vermont, Florida
          Others
04:15-04:50    Open discussion
04:50-05:00    Next Meeting Host and Site discussion. Adjournment.
06:30-08:30    Dinner at City Tavern.

Sunday, November 10th.
1000-1200      Virtual Reality demonstration: Gaspee   Wyndham Historic District Hotel?
·        John Concannon
·        Adam Blumenthal
Touring/Siteseeing
·        Independence Hall, Carpenter’s Hall, Liberty Bell, etc. Touring on your own.  Information will be available at the Congress or check here.  https://www.nps.gov/inde/index.htm 
If you wish to see Independence Hall, a ticket is required.  All details are here.  https://www.nps.gov/inde/planyourvisit/independencehall.htm  It is strongly recommended that you obtain a ticket in advance, as per the directions.  Most other sites are either free or tickets can be purchased that day.

·        National Constitution Center.  https://constitutioncenter.org/
 
·        DO NOT purchase advanced tickets to the Museum of the American Revolution, as they are providing complimentary admission to Congress attendees.   https://www.amrevmuseum.org/ 

CONGRESS REGISTRATION FEE:  $25 covering Saturday lunch and copying costs.
CITY TAVERN DINNER, Saturday Night.  A City Tavern Menu is attached. Two dinner options are available. Delegates are responsible for their Friday and Saturday dinner costs.
ROUNDTABLE SWAG: Please bring brochures, handouts, small MOMENTO(s) of your ARRT and/or local Revolutionary War sites to give to your continental ARRT brethren from afar. 

Southside Revolutionary Virginia 1775 Tour: October 12, 2019

On Saturday, October 12, 2019, thirty of us traveled to the Norfolk area to tour Saint Paul's Episcopal Church (Norfolk), Kemp's Landing (Virginia Beach), and the site of the Battle of Great Bridge (Chesapeake). The weather was great and our tour guides, Dr. Pat Hannum and Mr. Jon Stull, were equally extraordinary! Thank you! Following are some pictures of the day's activities (click on photos for larger versions).








Our 2019 Preservation Partner

Our members have chosen St. John's Church Foundation as our 2019 Preservation Partner.  Our check for $455 will be presented by Lee Ball at the Arnold Day events at St. John's on January 5, 2020.  Lee was the member who nominated the church.  Congratulations to the Foundation!

https://www.historicstjohnschurch.

Next Meeting: November 20, 2019

"Manufacturing Independence: Industrial Innovation in the American Revolution," Robert Smith

Meetings are held in the Westhampton Room, Heilman Dining Center (dining hall--building 34 on the campus map), University of Richmond, at 6:30 p.m. with dinner available for purchase beginning at 5:30 p.m.

Please plan on joining us!

University of Richmond campus map: 
http://www.richmond.edu/visit/maps/print/campus.pdf

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

2019 Harry M. Ward Book Prize Winner

The 2019 Harry M. Ward Book Prize winner is Dr. Rod Andrew, Jr., Clemson University, for The Life and Times of General Andrew Pickens: Revolutionary War Hero, American Founder

Rod Andrew, Jr. presents a very complex Andrew Pickens.  He was a man who founded churches, established towns, owned plantations, and brought a stern sense of republican responsibility and egalitarianism to his duty as a public figure and revolutionary officer.  As a slaveholder, Pickens was a Southerner of his times, but he did as much as any of his countrymen to establish the new republic.  This included desperate years as a partisan officer, during which he served not only gallantly, but brilliantly. He was one of the most effective militia commanders in the entire South, and he worked well with other rebel leaders, including Continental major general Nathanael Greene.  Pickens fought hard against the British, regional loyalists, and American Indians; but as Andrew suggests, his moral code caused him to wrestle internally with the issue of slavery and, after the war, to insist on fair dealings with the Southern Indian tribes. Pickens certainly was, as Andrew’s title indicates, a Revolutionary War Hero, and an American Founder. This is biography at its best.

Presentation of this award is scheduled during the 9th Annual Conference on the American Revolution, March 20-22, 2020, Williamsburg, Virginia.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

2019 International Conference on the American Revolution: October 3-5, 2019

2019 International Conference on the American Revolution
Thursday, October 3 to Saturday, October 5, 2019
Museum of the American Revolution
Philadelphia, PA

Registration and Schedule: www.AmRevMuseum.org/Conferences

The Museum of the American Revolution, the Pritzker Military Museum & Library, and the Richard C. von Hess Foundation are pleased to present the 2019 International Conference on the American Revolution on October 3-5, 2019. This event will bring noted historians, writers, and curators from Ireland, Scotland, England, and the United States together to explore military, political, social, and artistic themes from the Age of Revolutions. The conference will coincide with the opening of Cost of Revolution: The Life and Death of an Irish Soldier, the Museum’s first international loan exhibition, which is on view from September 28, 2019 – March 17, 2020. With more than 100 works of art, historical objects, manuscripts, and maps from lenders across the globe, Cost of Revolution will explore the Age of Revolutions in America and Ireland through the life of an Irish-born artist and officer in the British Army, Richard St. George (ca.1752-1798). Additional programs inspired by this exhibition, including special performances and lectures in addition to the Museum's Read the Revolution Speaker Series, will be listed on the Museum events calendar at www.AmRevMuseum.org/Events.

Information: Registration includes Museum admission, all sessions, and meals (excluding dinners) at $275 ($250 for Museum Members). Limited spaces are still available for an optional tour on Thursday, October 3 at 9:00am – 4:00pm to follow the steps of Richard St. George on the Philadelphia Campaign, offered at an additional charge to registration at $125 ($100 for Museum Members).

Questions: Please direct all questions about the Museum of the American Revolution international conference, special exhibition, and related programs to Hannah Boettcher, Manager of Special Programs, at conferences@amrevmuseum.org.

2020 Meeting Dates

For your advance planning pleasure, the meeting dates for 2020 have been posted under the "Meetings" heading above. Speakers and topics will be posted when available.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

2019 Preservation Partner Nominees

Our members have nominated four sites for consideration. Please check these choices. Voting will take place in the fall, with all members eligible.   

Great Bridge Battlefield & Waterways Historic Park & Museum
https://gbbattlefield.org/about-us

Poplar Forest
https://www.poplarforest.org/

Red Hill
https://www.redhill.org/

St. John's Church Foundation
https://www.historicstjohnschurch.org/

Meeting Notes: July 17, 2019

"A Single Blow: The Battles of Lexington and Concord," Robert Orrison

Pre-Guest Speaker Notes
ARRT-R’s October 12, 2019 field trip to the Norfolk/Great Bridge area has been announced.

ARRT-R’s next meeting is scheduled for September 18, 2019 at Heilman Dining Center at the University of Richmond. Dinner service begins at 5:30 p.m. and the speaking program begins at 6:30 p.m.

Author Biography 
Robert Orrison has been working in the public history field for more than twenty years.

Currently, Rob serves as the Historic Site Operations Supervisor for Prince William County, Virginia. He is the co-founder of Emerging Revolutionary War and his published works include A Want of Vigilance: The Bristoe Station Campaign and The Last            Road North: A Guide to the Gettysburg Campaign, 1863.

“I have now nothing to trouble your Lordship with, but an affair that happened on the 19th” –
General Thomas Gage penned the above line to his superiors in London, casually summing up the shots fired at Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775.
              
“A Single Blow” traces the events from the winter of 1774 to the action of April 19, 1775. The book serves as an historical narrative and a hands-on tour for the reader to visit the historic sites and locations where these events took place. 

General Gage arrived in Boston in May of 1774 in response to the Boston Tea Party. General Gage’s mission was to administer the Coercive Acts while continuing to serve as Commander-in-
Chief of the American colonies.

There were three events preceding the battles of Lexington and Concord that almost led to bloodshed:

1.      On September 1, 1774, British regulars removed all the powder from the powder magazine located in Charlestown. The event is known as the “Powder Alarm”.
2.     On December 14, 1774, local militia occupied Fort William & Henry in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
3.     On February 26, 1775, British troops raided Salem, Massachusetts in a failed attempt to seize cannons and powder.

As General Gage began to plan the raid on Lexington and Concord, he faced a highly efficient patriot intelligence gathering operation led by men such as Paul Revere and Doctor Warren. Revere rode out into the country on both April 9th and 16th to warn the countryside of possible British movement.

In the years leading up to April 1775, colonial forces had been re-organized to create both Minuteman and the traditional militia units.  While the term “Minuteman” is widely used to describe all the patriot forces fighting on April 19th, 1775, in fact eighty percent of the units who participated in the fighting were regular town militia units.

Once the raid began on April 19, 1775, poor British planning and communications allowed patriot forces to severely punish the raiding force.

--Noah Rogers

Thursday, August 15, 2019

REMINDER: Southside Revolutionary Virginia 1775 Tour: October 12, 2019

Just a reminder to sign-up SOON for our tour of Southside Revolutionary Virginia on October 12, 2019. We have 30 ready to go and now that seats are open to the general public they are going fast! To reserve your seat(s), send your check for $45.00 per person, payable to ARRT-Richmond, to:

Bill Welsch
10708 Rocket Drive,
Glen Allen, VA 23060

Please include your email address, cell phone number, and at which pick-up location (Richmond or Norfolk) you will meet the bus. 

Click here for tour information.

Thursday, July 25, 2019

Before They Were Americans: September 28, 2019

Emerging Revolutionary War and Gadsby's Tavern Museum are presenting a one-day symposium, "Before They Were Americans: A Prologue to the Revolutionary War," on September 28, 2019.

Speakers announced so far include Dr. Peter Henriques, Phillip Greenwalt, Katherine Gruber, William Griffith, and Stephanie Seal Walters.

The cost is $60 per person ($50 for OHA members and students). Reservations may be made at alexandriava.gov/shop

For more information: https://emergingrevolutionarywar.org/symposium/

While you're at it, please take a look at the Emerging Revolutionary War website--it's well-worth a visit: https://emergingrevolutionarywar.org/

Next Meeting: September 18, 2019

"Delaware's John Dickinson: The Constant Watchman of Liberty," John Sweeney

Meetings are held in the Westhampton Room, Heilman Dining Center (dining hall--building 34 on the campus map), University of Richmond, at 6:30 p.m. with dinner available for purchase beginning at 5:30 p.m.

NOTE: The University of Richmond will be back in session, so we will revert to our normal schedule of dinner beginning at 5:30 p.m. and the meeting beginning at 6:30 p.m. Please plan on joining us!

University of Richmond campus map: 
http://www.richmond.edu/visit/maps/print/campus.pdf

Wednesday, June 26, 2019

"A Walk Through History": Rescheduled to July 10, 2019

The June 5th walking tour of Yorktown was scrubbed due to lightening and rain. We will now be assembling on Wed., July 10th, at 6:30PM for the tour. We will meet at York Hall (301 Main St).  

Please contact Hampton Roads Tours at hamptonroadstours@gmail.com or (757) 243-2489
so that they may properly prepare for those attending. We had nearly 30 people signed up in June with nearly 10 braving the thunder and lightening.

--Jeff Lambert

17th Francis Marion/Swamp Fox Symposium: October 25-26, 2019

Advance Announcement

Explore the Revolutionary War Southern Campaign, "Times of Francis Marion, 1732-1795" in Manning, SC.

Preliminary Agenda:

The Continental Marines 1775-1783: In the Beginning

Admiral David Farragut’s father, George: The North Carolina & Spanish Family Connections

Dinner theater: Rebecca Motte, A first person monologue of her American Revolution Experience

Baron de Kalb 1721-1780.8

“Foot-Rovers”, known as “Raccoon Rovers” at Charles Town, Sullivan’s Isl. 1776 

The Sampit River Bridge & the Bridges Campaign

Running the Gauntlet:  Interpreting the Battle of Parkers Ferry 1781.8

Avenue of the Cedars, Francis Marion’s Last Engagement  1782

Richardson-Sinkler Connections, Planting, Politics, Horses, and Family Life, 1769—1853

Dinner Theater:  "Buying Time at the Racetrack: 240th Anniversary of Charlestown Neck" - Marion's delaying of Prevost. 

Register by Sept. 20, 2019 for Early-Bird Discount

Tuesday, June 4, 2019

Next Meeting: July 17, 2019

"A Single Blow: The Battles of Lexington and Concord," Robert Orrison

Meetings are held in the Westhampton Room, Heilman Dining Center (dining hall--building 34 on the campus map), University of Richmond, at 6:00 p.m. with dinner available for purchase beginning at 5:00 p.m.

Due to the University of Richmond being out of regular session, we will revert to our summer schedule: The meeting will begin at 6:00 p.m. with dinner still available for purchase in the Dining Center beginning at 5:00 p.m. Please plan on joining us!

University of Richmond campus map:

http://www.richmond.edu/visit/maps/print/campus.pdf

Meeting Notes: May 8, 2019

"Francis Lightfoot Lee and His Home Called Menokin," Samuel McKelvey

Pre-Guest Speaker Notes:

  • 10/12/2019 Field Trip to Norfolk/Great Bridge area has been announced
  • ARRT-Richmond presented a check to Samuel McKelvey (representing The Menokin Foundation), our 2018-2019 Preservation Partner


Speaker Bio:
Before coming to Menokin, McKelvey managed multiple museums within the Henrico County Virginia Historic Preservation and Museum Services section. McKelvey holds an MA in History from Virginia Commonwealth University and a BS in Geography and History from James Madison University.

“He did no brilliant things, he made no brilliant speeches; but the enduring strength of his participation was manifest; his fearlessness in confronting perilous duties and compassing them was patent to all, the purity of his motives was unquestioned, his unpurchaseable honor and uprightness were unchallenged.” --Mark Twain on Francis Lightfoot Lee, 1877

“The subscriber requests it as a favour of all his acquaintance, that they will never take any letter directed to him out the post-office, as he is determined never willingly to pay a farthing to any tax laid upon this country, in any unconstitutional manner.” --Francis Lightfoot Lee, Virginia Gazette, May 1776.

Francis Lightfoot Lee Biography:
Lee signed both the Westmoreland Resolves (Feb. 27, 1766) and the Declaration of Independence (1776). He served in the Virginia House of Burgesses, first from Loudoun County, and then from Richmond County. He was in Philadelphia in 1776 as a Virginia delegate to the second Continental Congress, returning to Virginia In 1779.

As a member of the Continental Congress he ran the“supply committee”assisting Washington’s army.

Lee was the grandson of Colonel Richard Lee II and a great grandson of Colonel Richard Lee I. Senator Richard Henry Lee and diplomats William Lee and Dr. Arthur Lee were his brothers.

Menokin Foundation Update:
Construction of Menokin began in 1769 and continued into the 1780s. Initial occupancy occurred as early as 1771.

Menokin was unoccupied after 1960 and was extensively damaged by a falling tree in the 1960s. By 1995,when the Menokin Foundation received it, the house was in ruins. The Foundation erected  a steel canopy to stabilize the structure in 2000.

Menokin was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1971.

Currently the Menokin Foundation is in the middle of the “Raise the Glass”campaign. This is an $8.5 million historic initiative to replace the building’s missing walls, floors, and roof with structural glass.

--Noah Rogers

--.

Thursday, May 30, 2019

Southside Revolutionary Virginia 1775 Tour: October 12, 2019

ARRT-Richmond announces a tour of Southside Revolutionary Virginia (1775) on October 12, 2019.

The tour will be lead by Dr. Patrick H. (Pat) Hannum, Professor, Joint Forces Staff College, National Defense University, Lt Col USMC (Ret). This tour will visit three critically important Revolutionary War sites in the modern Cities of Norfolk, Virginia Beach and Chesapeake in order to help inform the important events and explain how the Whig Government ousted the Royal Governor, Lord Dunmore, and British military forces from the State of Virginia. These events largely unfolded in the fall of 1775 and culminated with the destruction of the City of Norfolk in early 1776. Strategically important, these events led to near uncontested Whig control of the State of Virginia for three and one-half years. The British defeat at Yorktown in October 1781 traces its roots to the critical decisions and decisive actions of the Whig Governments of Virginia and North Carolina in the fall of 1775. 

We will visit:
  • St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Norfolk
  • Kemp's Landing, Virginia Beach
  • Great Bridge, Chesapeake
To register, please send a check for $45, payable to ARRT-Richmond, to:

Bill Welsch
10708 Rocket Drive,
Glen Allen, VA 23060

Please include your email address, cell phone number, and at which pick up location you will meet the bus.

ARRT-Richmond members will be given first registration priority until August 1.  Remaining seats will then be opened to all others.

Direct questions to wmwelsch@comcast.net before the tour.

Click here for full tour information

Friday, May 17, 2019

"Murder of a Founding Father: The Death and Legacy of George Wythe," June 8, 2019

Author of the George Wythe biography, Jefferson’s Godfather: The Man Behind the Man, Suzanne Munson presents a talk on the man, his murder, and the Wythe-Jefferson legacy. Wreath-laying at Wythe's grave and book signing will follow.

Saturday, June 8, 2019
2:00 - 3:00 p.m.
St. John's Church
Doors open at 1:45 p.m.

Tickets are $5.00 plus processing fee

www.historicstjohnschurch.org

Monday, May 6, 2019

"A Walk Through History": June 5, 2019

The Williamsburg/Yorktown American Revolution Round Table and Hampton Roads Tours LLC are offering "A Walk Through History" with historian J. Michael Moore.

The Tour will begin at York Hall in historic Yorktown at 6:30 p.m. on June 5, 2019. The tour is free for WYARRT members... $15.00 for all non-members.

For information, contact hamptonroadstours@gmail.com or voicemail at 757-243-2489.

Wednesday, May 1, 2019

American Revolutionary War Round Table of Upstate NY

From Brian Mack:

We at the American Revolutionary War Round-Table (ARRT) of Upstate NY not only welcome Spring but we also welcome a new name. Formerly known as the American Revolution Round Table: Hudson/Mohawk Valleys, we decided to change the name to include a broader geographic area with our outreach. Plus, it’s a bit shorter than the prior name. Also, with a new name, is a new website, please visit www.arrtupstateny.com for round table events, details and more. We look forward to branching out and working with organizations who love the American Revolutionary War as much as we do.

James Madison as "Father of the Constitution"?, May 16, 2019

The 2018-19 Marshall Center Lecture Series at the University of Richmond presents the above-titled lecture on May 16, 2019. 

For more information and registration: https://jepson.richmond.edu/conferences/marshall/lecture-series.html

Tuesday, April 23, 2019

Meeting Notes: March 20, 2019

"Sober and Industrious Women: Soldiers' Wives in the British Army,"
Jenna Schnitzer


Pre-Guest Speaker Notes:
Planning an October 12, 2019 field trip to the Norfolk/Great Bridge area.

May meeting is moved from the 15th to the 8th.

Guest Speaker:

Bio: Jenna Schnitzer is both an historical interpreter and an historical seamstress for individuals, historic sites, and private organizations. She also operates the “Followers of the British Army” Facebook page. Her husband, Eric Schnitzer, serves as a Park Ranger at Saratoga National Historical Park.

The emphasis of the speaker’s remarks provided an overview of the role of soldiers' wives during the Burgoyne Campaign and explored some of the myths and perceptions about the women.

Other names for the women and their children who traveled with the army where “camp followers”and “women on the ration”.

It’s estimated that 900 “followers”were with Burgoyne at Saratoga.

The four primary jobs of women during the campaign were nursing, sutler, baking, and laundress.

The vast majority of women traveling with Burgoyne’s Army were wives and their children.

On average during the campaign, the ratio one could expect was 10-13 women per 50 soldiers.

The British Army was only responsible for providing camp followers with food, transportation, and protection.

The Convention Army while billeted in Charlottesville included 200 British and 100 German women.

One of the explanations for the large number of women and children traveling with the army was the “mechanization”of industry back in Britain. This forced“tradesmen”into the army which meant families joining the army.

--Noah Rogers

Monday, April 15, 2019

"The Estate of Secretary Nelson," April 26, 2019

"A Very Handsome House," Secretary Nelson's Mansion and Yorktown Estate
Please join the Yorktown Preservation Society and the York County Historical Museum on Friday, April 26, 2019 for a lecture about the estate of Sec. Nelson, at 2:00pm in York Hall. This in not Governor Nelson’s home that many of us are familiar with!

Beginning in ca. 1744, Secretary Thomas Nelson (1716-1788) transformed a 15-acre tract on the east side of Yorktown into a conspicuous Georgian estate atop the highest elevation in Yorktown. Historical research, architectural analysis, and archaeological investigations reveal that Secretary Nelson transformed his estate during several decades before it was destroyed in the siege of Yorktown in 1781 when Lord Cornwallis initially selected the mansion to serve as his first headquarters. This presentation will focus on the transformation of the house and landscape into a symmetrical Georgian estate and a symbol by one of Virginia’s leading colonial authorities as well as its destruction in the siege of Yorktown.

Presented by Hank D. Lutton, an archaeologist and historian with twenty years of professional experience. He is a Registered Professional Archaeologist who specializes in historical archaeology, particularly the artifacts, lifeways, and landscapes of the colonial and Early Republic periods. He has directed major urban excavations in Yorktown, Hampton, and Williamsburg, Virginia where he investigated town formation and urbanization from the late seventeenth century onward. Hank has worked as a curator at Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex in Moundsville, West Virginia for the past three years. Prior to that he was a project archaeologist at the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation and James River Institute for Archaeology. As an undergrad at George Washington University, he majored in political science and minored in history and literature. Hank received a MA in historical archaeology from the College of William and Mary’s Anthropology Department. He was a Presidential Teaching Fellow in the Archaeology Department at Boston University while enrolled in the doctoral program. Hank has had a life-long fascination with the past, especially the built environment, landscapes, and the First World War.

Sponsored by the Yorktown Preservation Society and the York County Historical Museum.  This event is free and open to the public.  #yorkcountyvamuseum. #yorkcountyhistoricalmuseum. #visityorktown  

Williamsburg Yorktown American Revolution Round Table
wmbgyrktwnarrt@gmail.com
williamsburg-yorktownarrt.weebly.com

Tuesday, April 9, 2019

Next Meeting: May 8, 2019

"Francis Lightfoot Lee and His Home Called Menokin," Sam McKelvey

Meetings are held in the Westhampton Room, Heilman Dining Center (dining hall--building 34 on the campus map), University of Richmond, at 6:30 p.m. with dinner available for purchase beginning at 5:30 p.m.

Please plan on joining us and NOTE THAT MAY'S MEETING IS ONE WEEK EARLIER THAN USUAL!

University of Richmond campus map:

Friday, March 15, 2019

Our Brochure Around Town

Our newly-printed brochure has begun to make its appearance around Richmond. If you see other examples of our brochure on display, take a photo and forward it to arrt.richmond@gmail.com.





Monday, February 25, 2019

Meeting Notes: January 16, 2019

“Founding Martyr: The Life and Death of Dr. Joseph Warren, the American Revolution’s Lost Hero,” Christian Di Spigna

The emphasis of the speaker’s remarks centered on his discovery and use of primary source documents in writing the book – Warren didn’t leave any letters.

Di Spigna believes that Warren, if not for his death at Bunker Hill, would have led the United States as Thomas Jefferson and George Washington did.

Warren served as president of the Massachusetts Provincial Congress, chairman of the Massachusetts Committee of Safety, leader of the Boston Committee of Correspondence and the North End Caucus, and grand master of the Ancient Scottish Rite Masons in North America.

Warren delivered two prominent orations on the Boston Massacre and authored the Suffolk Resolves.  He was one of the most prominent and respected physicians in Massachusetts, inoculating hundreds of people against smallpox without a single death. 

By 1775 Warren was leading a sophisticated spy network. Paul Revere’s ride on the night of April 18, 1775 is the most public example of the network. 

Shortly before his death, he was promoted to Major General. Upon appearing at Bunker Hill on the morning of June 17, 1775 he chose not to take command but to serve as a common soldier.

Author Bio:
Christian Di Spigna is a writer based in New York City and Williamsburg, Virginia. A regular speaker and volunteer at Colonial Williamsburg, he is a native of Brooklyn. Christian received both an undergraduate degree and a master in history from Columbia University.

Meeting Notes:
Beginning our 14th year
Planning a 10/12/19 Field Trip to Norfolk/Great Bridge area
May meeting moving from the 15th to the 8th

--Noah Rogers

Wednesday, February 6, 2019

Next Meeting: March 20, 2019

Jenna Schnitzer, "Sober and Industrious Women: Soldiers' Wives in the British Army"

Meetings are held in the Westhampton Room, Heilman Dining Center (dining hall--building 34 on the campus map), University of Richmond, at 6:30 p.m. with dinner available for purchase beginning at 5:30 p.m.

Please plan on joining us!

University of Richmond campus map:

http://www.richmond.edu/visit/maps/print/campus.pdf

Friday, January 18, 2019

Harry M. Ward Book Prize: 2019 Nominees

Following is a list of the nominees for the 2019 Harry M. Ward Book Prize:

Jim Stempel, American Hannibal: The Extraordinary Account of Revolutionary War Hero Daniel Morgan at the Battle of Cowpens (Penmore Press LLC).

Christian Di Spigna, Founding Martyr: The Life and Death of Dr. Joseph Warren, the Revolution's Lost Hero (Crown).

George C. Daughan, Lexington and Concord: The Battle Heard Round the World (W. W. Norton).

Harlow G. Unger, Dr. Benjamin Rush: The Founding Father Who Healed a Wounded Nation (Penguin)

James J. Gigantino II, William Livingston's American Revolution (University of Pennsylvania Press)

Mary Stockwell, Unlikely General: "Mad" Anthony Wayne and the Battle for America (Yale University Press)

Nathaniel Philbrick, In the Hurricane's Eye: The Genius of George Washington and the Victory at Yorktown (Viking)

Rod Andrew, Jr., The Life and Times of General Andrew Pickens: Revolutionary War Hero, American Founder (University of North Carolina Press)

C. L. Bragg, Martyr of the American Revolution: The Execution of Isaac Hayne, South Carolina (The University of South Carolina Press).

Stephen Fried, RUSH: Revolution, Madness, and the Visionary Doctor Who Became a Founding Father (Da Capo Press)

Stephen Brumwell, Turncoat: Benedict Arnold and the Crisis of American Liberty (Yale University Press)