Spring Lecture Series
The Old Barracks is pleased to host lectures and discussions
by leading historians and authors on a variety of subjects
sponsored by the Society of Sons of the Revolution in the State of New Jersey.
Lectures are free to attend, and pre-orders for books are encouraged.
by leading historians and authors on a variety of subjects
sponsored by the Society of Sons of the Revolution in the State of New Jersey.
Lectures are free to attend, and pre-orders for books are encouraged.
Captives of Liberty: Prisoners of War and the Politics of Vengeance in the American Revolution
T. Cole Jones
Monday, April 20 | 7 PM
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This lecture by Cole Jones on his book "Captives of Liberty: Prisoners of War and the Politics of Vengeance in the American Revolution" will examine how the founding generation of Americans grappled with the problems of prisoner treatment. During the eight-year conflict, American forces captured over seventeen thousand British and allied Germanic soldiers, as well as thousands more loyalist civilians and British mariners. The number of enemy prisoners in American custody often exceeded that of American soldiers in the Continental army. These prisoners proved increasingly burdensome for the new nation as the war progressed. What was to become of these men? How should they be confined? Who would pay to house and feed them? When and how should they be released? A series of thorny political issues compounded these logistical difficulties. This talk will take the audience from the meeting rooms of the Continental Congress to the prison camps of Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania, revealing the factors that coalesced to transform the conflict into a war for vengeance, escalating its violence precipitously.
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Don Troiani's Campaign to Saratoga - 1777: The Turning Point of the Revolutionary War in Paintings, Artifacts, and Historical Narrative
Eric Schnitzer
Thursday, April 23 | 7 PM
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The Battles of Saratoga are cited as the turning point in the Revolutionary War. Beginning when the armies prepared to face off in June 1777 through the surrender of the British Army in October, the battles of the Northern Campaign were significant to the outcome of the War and the fight for independence. As a result of the Saratoga battles, the patriots gained confidence, the French entered the war, and the British plan to win the war quickly was put to an end.
Master historical painter Don Troiani and historian Eric Schnitzer combine their talents in this new book on Saratoga, the Revolutionary War campaign. This magnificently illustrated history features many new artworks, previously unpublished eyewitness accounts, photographs of important artifacts, and a solid, detailed historical narrative including background on the campaigns leading up to Saratoga. |
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Jefferson's Daughters: Three Sisters, White and Black in a Young America
Catherine Kerrison
Tuesday, April 28 | 7 PM
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Thomas Jefferson is among the most famous of America's Founding Fathers, but it is easy to forget that he was an actual father to three daughters: Martha and Maria, by his wife Martha Wayles Jefferson, and Harriet by his slave Sally Hemings. This talk will explore the different life paths the eldest and youngest sisters chose, to see both the possibilities and the limitations for women and people of color as a result of the American Revolution. Their stories help us to understand issues of race and gender in our own day, and to reflect on the personal and political legacy of one of our most fascinating Founders.
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