Event
“The Slaves’ Gamble: Choosing Sides in the War of 1812” Program
Fee:
Free.Location:
River Raisin National Battlefield ParkDates & Times
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Type of Event
Description
“The Slaves’ Gamble: Choosing Sides in the War of 1812” Monroe, Michigan –River Raisin National Battlefield Park, along with the River Raisin National Battlefield Park Foundation, will be hosting Dr. Gene Allen Smith for an engaging program on “The Slaves’ Gamble: Choosing Sides in the War of 1812” on Tuesday, August 8, 2023 at 7 p.m.
Peter Denison is not a house-hold name or well-known hero of the War of 1812. Yet he and other slaves faced important choices about which side to support during the conflict. By following the lives of Denison and other black men, we learn about the daily struggle all slaves and free men of color faced and the choices they made. How would the young United States respond to the possibility of social and racial unrest. Since black participation could sway military operations, and potentially alter the outcome of the War of 1812, it troubled the white Americans and reshaped the way the young republic responded, ultimately sealing the fate of slaves for the next half century, until the American Civil War.
Dr. Gene Allen Smith is a Professor of History and Director of the Center for Texas Studies at Texas Christian University (TCU). Dr. Smith conducted in-depth research into the War of 1812 and published “The Slaves’ Gamble Choosing Sides in the War of 1812” in 2013. He is presently working on several projects, including a study of George Washington. Additionally, Gene recently served his second term as the 2022-23 “Class of 1957 Distinguished Chair of Naval Heritage” at the United States Naval Academy. Gene has published may papers and books and has received internal research awards from Montana State University-Billings and TCU, as well as fellowships from the Henry E. Huntington Library, the Virginia Historical Society, the U.S. Department of the Navy, the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, and from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Funding for the program “The Slaves’ Gamble: Choosing Sides in the War of 1812” by Dr. Gene Allen Smith was generously provided by the River Raisin National Battlefield Park Foundation through a generous grant by the La-Z-Boy Foundation.
Location: River Raisin National Battlefield Park Visitor Center 333 North Dixie Highway Monroe, MI 48162
Reservation or Registration: No
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