News

One of our friends from across the Atlantic, the Friends of Lauzun’s Castle, are requesting your help! The Friends of Lauzun are seeking donations so that the commune of Lauzun may buy back Lauzun’s castle in order to better preserve it for future generations. They also have plans to install a room in the memory of Armand-Louis de Gontaut-Biron, his legion from the War of Independence and the regiment of Lauzun’s Hussars. The window to help is very small, as fundraising must be complete by September 25th.

The American Friends of Lafayette is thrilled to announce the upcoming thirteen-month bicentennial celebration of Major General Lafayette’s triumphant return tour to America! August 16, 2024 kicks off the beginning of this monumental occasion with hundreds of events planned tracing the footsteps of Lafayette on his tour of America as the “Guest of the Nation” between 1824–1825, in the exact order he traveled.

In anticipation of the upcoming Bicentennial celebrations, the AFL has created a video with Director James Lee, in order to bring awareness, excitement, and have some fun in launching the countdown to next year’s events.

T. Cole Jones’s book, Captives of Liberty: Prisoners of War and the Politics of Vengeance in the American Revolution sets out to answer those questions. Using examples from the Canadian campaign, Battle of Brooklyn, Burgoyne’s surrender at Saratoga, and the Southern campaign as case studies, Jones argues that Americans believed they were upholding European customs in their handling of prisoners of war. But when the British did not extend the same courtesies, Americans found it increasingly difficult to justify providing adequate care and respect for their enemy. “Atrocity rhetoric compounded real accounts of British mistreatment of American captives in the press,” Jones writes, which drove Americans to demand harsher treatment towards their enemies, setting off a spiral of competing violence against each other. As the war dragged on, honor was replaced with the need for revenge.

This virtual course will include coverage of both the skills and tools an intermediate genealogist should have in their toolkit. Is there a way to answer a question in the absence of direct evidence? Might there be resources overlooked or workarounds not considered that could make all the difference? The key to next level results is a next level strategy.

On Wednesday evenings at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, a professional genealogist will be available to discuss your research. These one-on-one consultations are designed for beginner and experienced genealogists alike: schedule a sixty-minute consultation to help get the advice you need, develop a research plan, or break through that brick wall research problem! Space is limited, so reserve your consultation today!

A new lecture from Dr. Robert Selig which explores the life of Jean-Baptiste Dupleix de Cadignan (1738-1824) when he joined the French army’s Régiment de Bourgogne-Infanterie as a lieutenant shortly before turning sixteen in 1754. On that same day, he started a diary, which later contributed to his extensive two-volume journal preserved by the Society of the Cincinnati. The journal covers his journey to Louisbourg, Canada, his times as a prisoner of war, his engagements in various campaigns from Corsica to modern-day Haiti, and his role during the final years of the American Revolution. Dupleix de Cadignan’s records provide a combined insight into naval and siege warfare from a singular perspective, emphasizing the essential contributions of the French forces during the American Revolution. Historian Robert A. Selig, Ph.D., delves into Dupleix de Cadignan’s notable military journey and examines the backdrop and outcomes of French military endeavors preceding the French Revolution.

Dr. Robert Selig’s new report for the Rodgers Tavern Museum on John Rodgers of the Rodgers Tavern examines Rodgers’ (1728-1794) involvement in the Revolutionary War as an officer in the Harford County Militia, tavern landlord near the Susquehanna, and operator of the Lower Susquehanna Ferry from 1774-1783. It delves into the history of Cecil and Harford Counties during these years, highlighting the political shifts of the American Revolution, significant military events like the British invasion of 1777 and the Yorktown Campaign of 1781, and Rodgers’ dual role in public and private capacities.

On August 17th, Amazing Tales CT will be releasing a new podcast which delves into Washington’s rides through the area, and his time spent strategizing alongside Rochambeau at what is now the Webb-Deane-Stevens house! W3R-US’s own Dr. Robert Selig contributed greatly to this episode, providing his research, insights and wisdom – be sure not to miss!

August news and updates from the William Trent House!

A new book by author Margaret Denise Dennis, fully illustrated by Kimberley Lyles-Folkman, which tells the true story of Margaret’s ancestor, Bristol Budd Sampson, an African American patriot of the Revolution!