Category: War of 1812

Serving as Consulting Public Historian as City of Havre de Grace Pieces Together Forgotten Parts of Its History as Part of National Park Service War of 1812 Grant

I am pleased to be working as a consulting public historian on a large Harford County project called “Reconstructing Havre de Grace’s Community History – The War of 1812.”  As part of the development of the Star Spangled Banner National Historic Trail the City of Havre de Grace has obtained a National Park Service grant to research and interpret the history of the town at the top of the Chesapeake Bay around the time of the war.

The other public historian involved in the project, Chris George, is researching military history while I design and direct the research that focuses on the community’s past.   For much of 2011, I will be working with a great group of volunteers, local historians, and community subject matter experts to piece together the forgotten parts of the town’s past.  That will involve lots of archive research on life in Havre de Grace just before, during, and after the British attack of 1813.  It’s an exciting project as the nation and Maryland prepare for the Bicentennial of our second war with Britian and I’m looking forward to participating in some extensive fieldwork with a fine group of volunteers in Havre de Grace.

Presentation for MD War of 1812 Bicentennial Commission: Constructing Interpretive Stories From Primary Documents

The Maryland War of 1812 Bicentennial Commission, the State Tourism Office, and the National Park Service are preparing to celebrate the Bicentennial of the War of 1812.  To plan cultural tourism and educational initiatives commemorating Maryland’s contribution to the defense and heritage of the nation, the agencies presented the “Head of the Bay Star-Spangled 200 Conference in Havre de Grace on Dec. 10.

I did a presentation introducing lesser-known interpretive resources for the event.  Drawing on seldom used primary documents, I talked about eyewitnesses, such as Hettie Boulden and Judge Sample.  Hattie, a slave on a plantation, was forced to accompany the British on one incursion, since she knew the territory.  Judge Sample, a Congressman from Indiana, grew up on the Eastern Shore and was a young boy here when the war occurred.  A few years before his death, he writes letters back to Maryland, recalling those dangerous days.   There were others sources, such as surviving letters from a militiaman and diaries.  It was great to see the interest these sources created for stakeholders attending the conference.