The 5th annual Turning Point Symposium, a day-long event featuring notable Revolutionary War era historians and authors presenting new scholarship to enhance our understanding of the War for American Independence, is set for Saturday May 2nd marks at the American Legion Hall in Schuylerville, NY.
This year, the topics focus on Upstate New York and the impact felt by both combatants and residents throughout the war.
From the struggle to defend against large threats like Britain’s Navy in the Battle of Valcour Island, to the localized raiding taking place in the settlements of the Saratoga District that pitted neighbor against neighbor, the presenters will engage attendees by outlining a broader picture of the complexities of the conflict.
In staying true to the symposium’s roots (it was formerly known as the Women in War Symposium), several presenters will focus on the varied roles women played in the American Revolution.
Some names are familiar, like that of Jane McCrea, though new scholarship may change long held perceptions of this tragic episode of the Saratoga Campaign. Attendees will also hear unfamiliar names like those of Jane Campbell, who experienced the Cherry Valley Massacre firsthand and Mary Swords, a local loyalist woman with a story to tell.
Whether Patriot or Loyalist, the American Revolution changed the lives and livelihoods of those living in and around Saratoga. The Turning Point Symposium gives attendees the chance to hear their stories, learn about the challenges (and opportunities) residents faced and discover how they navigated a very personalized and bloody conflict.
“As the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence approaches, we turn our attention to the ideas and actions of those who took part in the creation of this country,” said Lauren Roberts, Saratoga County Historian and Chair of Saratoga250th Commission which hosts the event.
“Symposiums like these remind us of how much we still have to learn from the people and events that took place two and a half centuries ago, and why their stories still matter today.”
Emceed by head of faculty Dr. Bruce Venter, the symposium will feature five speakers and includes a light breakfast as well as a buffet lunch. An optional walking tour led by Town of Saratoga Historian Sean Kelleher explores the Schuyler Legacy concludes the day.
On Sunday May 3rd the weekend continues with a bus tour tracing the route of a British Raid on Ballston in October 1780. The tour will be led by local historian Jim Richmond whose book War on the Middeline describes the settlement of Middeline Road in Ballston in the years leading up to the Revolution.
These recent arrivals from New England embraced the American cause, joining a local militia regiment and taking an active role in defending their new community against loyalist supporters of the British Crown.
“It was their activities as militant patriots that drew the attention of the raiders” says Richmond. “The raid was led by loyalists, many of whom had scores to settle with the militiamen.”
The tour will begin in Ballston Spa and head north to Lake Luzerne where 200 loyalists and their indigenous allies entered Saratoga County on their approach to Ballston and continued southward along remote trails toward their midnight raid on the sleeping families of the militiamen.
Richmond will recount acts of bravery, vengeance and even compassion on both sides during the raid. The four-hour tour will include stops along the Great Sacandaga Lake and lunch at the Middle Grove Town Park.
Tickets for the Saturday Turning Point Symposium ($75.00) and the Sunday “War on the Middleline” Bus Tour ($75.00) can be purchased separately and are available at saratoga250.com
Read more about the American Revolution in New York State.
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