In conjunction with the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812, the Maryland Humanities Council is offering a special speakers bureau series focusing on that conflict. I am pleased to be selected to serve as one of the presenting scholars. Here are the descriptions of my two programs:
Spread the News: The War of 1812 on the Chesapeake —
In this era news could only move as fast as someone could physically carry the message. Mike Dixon will discuss how news and information was spread when war came to Maryland’s shores, with a fascinating look at press coverage of the major regional incidents of the War of 1812. This presentation concludes with a discussion about what has changed in the digital age, when news coverage is practically instantaneous.
The Stories of Everyday People in the War of 1812 —
When war came to the shores of the Chesapeake, what was it like for everyday citizens and local militiamen, as well as slaves, freedmen, women? Mike Dixon reveals unpublished stories of unrepresented peoples such as slaves and African-Americans, and the narratives of everyday people who aren’t talked about in the history books.