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“The Slaves’ Gamble: Choosing Sides in the War of 1812” program by author Dr. Gene Allen Smith
August 8, 2023 @ 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm
The River Raisin National Battlefield Park welcomes author Dr. Gene Allen Smith for an engaging program on his book, “The Slaves’ Gamble: Choosing Sides in the War of 1812” on Tuesday, August 8, 2023 at 7:00p.m. at the River Raisin National Battlefield Park Visitor Center in the Theater. The program is free and open to the public with the support of the River Raisin National Battlefield Park Foundation and La-Z-Boy.
A Foundation Members Only Meet and Greet Reception with Dr. Smith begins at 6:15pm prior to the presentation. The reception is for members and their guests. Register for reception by emailing: [email protected] by August 7.
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.
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.
The River Raisin Trade Depot gift shop will be open with a limited number of copies of the book available for purchase.
Funding for this program was generously provided by the River Raisin National Battlefield Park Foundation through a generous grant by the La-Z-Boy Foundation.
