Virtual Lecture - The Hessians Are Coming: Mercenary Soldiers and the American Revolution
Date: Tuesday, July 5, 2022
Location: Zoom Virtual Lecture
Time: 7:30 pm (EST)
The British government dispatched about 20,000 German troops help the redcoats to put down the revolt in America. This lecture by Dr. Richard Bell surveys these Hessian mercenaries’ contributions to the British war machine, 
including their efforts to sweep Washington’s army out of New York City and back to New Jersey. It also reveals how and why ordinary Americans’ perception of them as thugs capable of ‘ungovernable brutality’ changed—so much so that when the war finally ended, almost 6,000 German veterans chose to put down roots, betting their futures on the prospects of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness in the newly formed United States.
Registration required.
Cost: $15 per household for General Admission; $10 per household for HA Members & Volunteers
This lecture will be offered virtually by Zoom. Upon registration, you will be sent the link for the video conference to join on the evening of the lecture. To learn more about Zoom and to download the app to your computer, visit the Zoom website. Questions about Zoom for the Virtual Lecture Series should be directed to carolyn.currin@annapolis.org.
About Our Presenter: Dr. Richard Bell is Associate Professor of History at the University of Maryland and author of the new book Stolen: Five Free Boys Kidnapped into Slavery and Their Astonishing Odyssey Home. He has won more than a dozen teaching awards, including the University System of Maryland Board of Regents Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching, the highest honor for teaching faculty in the Maryland state system. He has held major research fellowships at Yale, Cambridge, and the Library of Congress and is the recipient of the National Endowment of the Humanities Public Scholar award. He serves as a Trustee of the Maryland Historical Society, as an elected member of the Massachusetts Historical Society, and as a fellow of the Royal Historical Society.