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.

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 9^th and 16^th 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 19^th, 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

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.

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