Saratoga National Historical Park

"The day must shortly come when these facts will be known to the World.”

<p>Join us on the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Valcour Island for a new look at that legendary encounter traditionally credited with stopping the British invasion of 1776 and setting up the Battles of Saratoga the following year. Benedict Arnold's flotilla may have lost, but "never had any force, big or small, lived to better purpose or died more gloriously, for it had saved the lake for that year." At least that's what naval officer and historian Alfred Thayer Mahan boldly declared in his 1913 assessment of American War for Independence naval operations. The outrageousness of his hyperbole aside, is there any truth to Mahan's claim? What could the British have reasonably done differently to successfully retake Ticonderoga that fall? If nothing, how does that impact popular perception of Arnold's Valcour gambit? Park Ranger Eric Schnitzer will attempt to answer these questions and more.</p>

Lokalizacja: Visitor Center

Saratoga National Historical Park

Schuyler House Candlelight Tours- FULL

<p>Experience the ambiance of an 18th Century house in the evening with a special candlelight tour through the Schuyler House! As you are led through the house, you will hear stories about life and events on the estate and the people who lived there. Candlelight tours are low light and may make walking through the house challenging for some visitors. Capacity limits will be in effect for safety and protection of visitors and the historic resources. <strong class="">Reservations are full. Thank you for the amazing response!</strong></p>

Lokalizacja: Schuyler Estate

Saratoga National Historical Park

Surrender Day Trolley

<p>Celebrate the 249<sup class="">th</sup> anniversary of Burgoyne’s surrender by visiting important related sites in the Villages of Schuylerville and Victory by trolley! Saratoga National Historical Park is excited to partner with Saratoga250 and CDTA to make this possible. Park at the Schuyler House or Fort Hardy Park for the hop-on-and-hop-off trolley. Visit with park staff and volunteers to learn about the importance of the Saratoga Surrender Site, Saratoga Monument, and Schuyler House and the events which took place there. Saratoga250 will be at the Saratoga Revolutionary Experience Center in Fort Fardy Park (30 Ferry St, Schuylerville).</p>

Lokalizacja: Surrender Site, Saratoga Monument, Schuyler House, and Fort Hardy Park (Village of Schuylerville)

Saratoga National Historical Park

Morgan Lewis: The Making of a Patriot

<p>Morgan Lewis is an often-overlooked figure of the American Revolution but one who was at the center of some of the most pivotal moments in the formation of America.  The son of a signer of the Declaration of Independence, he defined a generation of young officers who, despite their youth and inexperience, brought tenacity and intellect that was the foundation for victory. His story is a far more complex and colorful narrative that provides a view into many aspects of life during the American Revolution and the early republic. From Princeton student to Quartermaster-General of the Northern Department during the War, to eventually serving as Governor of New York. We’ll explore his extraordinary life and a future that was defined by the Battle of Saratoga.</p> <p>Presenter TR Hamilton is the Director of Preservation &amp; Collections at the Webb Deane Stevens Museum in Wethersfield, CT which includes the home of America’s first diplomat Silas Deane.  He holds a BA in historic preservation from the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, VA and an MS in conservation architecture from the University of Edinburgh in Edinburgh, UK. He has over twenty years of experience working with historic sites in the United States and United Kingdom with a focus on the built environment and material culture of the 17th to early 20th centuries.</p> <p>Support for the Fall Lecture Series is provided by Friends of Saratoga Battlefield. <strong>Reservations are required due to limited space. Email SARA_Reservations@nps.gov to reserve your seat!</strong></p>

Saratoga National Historical Park

Illuminating Lives: The Stories of Several Women During the American War for Independence

<p>Using a variety of archival sources and research techniques, Saratoga National Historical Park Curator Christine Valosin will talk about six different women with ties to the Schuyler family or estate, illuminating little known stories of their lives during the turbulent years of the American War for Independence. The scope includes Barbara Gray Schuyler, Hannah Pettit, Bet and Britt (whose stories are closely intertwined and therefore presented together), Mary McAlpin, and Catherine Schuyler. Many of these women left little written evidence of their own, so their stories are reconstructed from indirect sources and contextual clues, allowing us to better understand their contributions and perspectives.</p> <p>The focus is on the years 1776–1783, with the Schuyler Estate serving as the central anchor. The goal is to dig deep and tell a story about each woman so that we can say “we know them a little better now.”</p> <p>A practiced genealogist, Valosin integrates information gleaned from a variety of sources. For this talk, she used material from Philip Schuyler’s Store Ledger, letters, 18th century prints, wartime ledger accounts, land records from the Philip Schuyler Papers, local and town histories, pension records, published and unpublished family histories, newspaper accounts, Loyalist Papers, and church records. Each source provides a different perspective, collectively illuminating the lives of six women whose contributions to the Schuyler Estate and the Revolutionary era illuminates our historical memory.</p> <p>Support for the Fall Lecture Series is provided by Friends of Saratoga Battlefield. <strong>Reservations are required due to limited space. Email SARA_Reservations@nps.gov to reserve your seat!</strong></p>

Saratoga National Historical Park

When the Declaration of Independence Was News

<p>Published for the 250th anniversary of the United States, <em>When the Declaration of Independence Was News</em> focuses on the nation’s founding document at the moment of its creation in 1776, before anyone knew what the legacy of the Declaration would be or if the United States would win the war against Great Britain. It explores how the Declaration was communicated to people in the new nation and around the Atlantic world and reveals the stories of the many people involved in the process of declaring independence, from printers to soldiers to diplomats to translators.</p> <p>Dr. Emily Sneff is an early American historian and leading expert on the Declaration of Independence. She earned her Ph.D. in History from William &amp; Mary. She was a consulting curator for exhibitions marking the 250th anniversary of the Declaration at the Museum of the American Revolution and Historic Trappe.</p> <p>Support for the Fall Lecture Series is provided by Friends of Saratoga Battlefield. <strong>Reservations are required due to limited space. Email SARA_Reservations@nps.gov to reserve your seat!</strong></p>

Saratoga National Historical Park

Did the Battle of Redbank bring France into the War of Independence?

<p>Americans generally assume that the surrender of Sir John Burgoyne to General Horatio Gates at Saratoga on 17 October 1777 caused France to openly enter the American War of Independence. The American leadership interpreted the defeat at Saratoga within their military and political needs. Saratoga was of great military importance, an immense morale booster and extensively used for propaganda purposes. But France's decision to join the American rebels came after years of preparation and was by no means monocausal. For King Louis XVI and his Foreign minister, the <em>comte</em> de Vergennes, the American exploitation of the victory for domestic purposes was of little relevance. Their decision to join the Americans was based on where France placed Saratoga within the global political and military context and how it promoted, or hurt, French interests. The American war was waged on the fringes of European civilization, and France was primarily concerned with the impact an American victory, or defeat, would have on the balance of powers in Europe in general and on France in particular. This illustrated talk highlights the French interpretation of the Hessian debacle in the trenches around Fort Redbank and how that interpretation shaped Louis XVI’s decision to openly enter the war.</p> <p>Robert A. Selig is a historical consultant who received his Ph.D. in history from the Universität Würzburg in Germany in 1988. He is a specialist on the role of French forces under the <em>comte</em> de Rochambeau during the American War of Independence and serves as project historian for the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route National Historic Trail Project.</p> <p>Support for the Fall Lecture Series is provided by Friends of Saratoga Battlefield. <strong>Reservations are required due to limited space. Email SARA_Reservations@nps.gov to reserve your seat!</strong></p>

Saratoga National Historical Park

They Were Good Soldiers: African Americans Serving in the Continental Army

<p>The role of African Americans, free and enslaved, in the regiments of the Continental Army is not well-known; neither is the fact that relatively large numbers served in southern regiments and that the greatest number served alongside their white comrades in integrated units. John Rees will discuss black soldiers’ acceptance, service, and experiences during and after the War for American Independence, focusing on those who served in Continental regiments. African American women with the army will also be featured.  </p> <p> </p> <p>John U. Rees has been writing for almost 40 years on the experiences of common soldiers and women in the armies of the American Revolution. He has authored over 200 articles, most available online at https://tinyurl.com/JohnURees-articles. His first book,<em> They Were Good Soldiers: African Americans Serving in the Continental Army, 1775-1783 </em>was published in 2019; his second, titled <em>Don Troiani’s Black Soldiers in America’s Wars, 1754-1865</em>, came out in January 2025.</p> <p> </p> <p>Support for the Fall Lecture Series is provided by Friends of Saratoga Battlefield. <strong>Reservations are required due to limited space. Email <a href="mailto:SARA_Reservations@nps.gov">SARA_Reservations@nps.gov</a> to reserve your seat!</strong></p>