Showdown at Valcour: The Most Important Unknown Battle of the Revolutionary War with Author and Historian Jack Kelly
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Date and Time
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
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About this event
The campaign on Lake Champlain is one of the most crucial events in 1776, but it is also one of the least neglected. British commanders were determined to invade Canada, sail down Lake Champlain, split the colonies, and win the war in one season. At breakneck speed, American patriots had to construct a fleet of gunboats to oppose a much larger British invasion fleet. In a furious struggle that began at Valcour Island, Americans under the command of Benedict Arnold fought the Royal Navy to a draw. The delay was critical in saving the patriot cause during that pivotal year. Historian and author Jack Kelly will give an account of this nail-biting story and explain its importance for the Revolutionary War. He will discuss the people who made the result possible, including the Albany aristocrat Philip Schuyler, the resourceful Horatio Gates, and the tactical genius Benedict Arnold. The talk will bring to life the history that will celebrate the 250th anniversary of one of the key events of American history.
About the Author
Jack Kelly is an award-winning author and historian. He is the author of Valcour: The 1776 Campaign That Saved the Cause of Liberty. The book was described by the Wall Street Journal as “Vividly written . . . delivers an atmospheric, blow-by-blow account.” Kelly received the DAR History Medal and was a finalist for the New England Book Awards. He is a New York Foundation for the Arts fellow in Nonfiction Literature. Kelly has appeared on The History Channel, National Public Radio, and C-Span. He lives and works in New York's Hudson Valley.
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