People’s University marks 250th anniversary of Dunmore’s War | News, Sports, Jobs

WHEELING — This year marks the 250th anniversary of Dunmore’s War, considered by many historians to be the last conflict of the American colonial era.

But some pay little attention to it or misinterpret its historical significance. Against the backdrop of the deepening constitutional crisis that soon spiraled out of control, the decisive battle of the election campaign was fought when delegates from 12 of the 13 colonies met in Philadelphia for the First Continental Congress. The conflict was the result of escalating violence between the white settlers of Virginia, Pennsylvania and Kentucky and the Shawnee from the Ohio Country. It is thus part of the long war of independence of the native peoples of the “Ohio Country”.

The war ended soon after Virginia’s victory at the Battle of Point Pleasant on October 10, 1774. The result was a major redrawing of the Appalachian border, established by the Royal Proclamation of 1763, which ended the French and Indian War.

The Ohio County Public Library’s new People’s University program begins this week and will focus on Dunmore’s War.

∫ July 18, 7:00 p.m., Lesson 1 – Who was Lord Dunmore?

If you grew up in Wheeling or the Ohio River Valley, the name Lord Dunmore will no doubt sound familiar. While the general impression is that he is remembered for some sort of villainy, the manner in which he earned that reputation and his true nature are somewhat unclear. Long dismissed as an incompetent hothead and neglected by most historians, James Corbett David’s book Dunmore’s New World (University of Virginia Press, 2013) forms the basis for the first course in the series, which focuses on John Murray, Viscount Fincastle and fourth Earl of Dunmore. Who was this man? What personal circumstances motivated his desire for an imperial appointment in America? Why was he appointed royal governor of the colony of Virginia? What role did he play in his eponymous war? And what became of him after he left Virginia for England again?

Lecturer James H. Frey was born and raised in Wheeling. Frey attended Ohio County public schools and is a graduate of Oberlin College. His career as a teacher and later as a fundraiser took him outside of his home state. In 2010, he returned to the area to accept a leadership position at the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh Foundation.

He retired in 2014. Frey has a lifelong passion for local history and genealogy and is involved in a number of organizations that reflect these interests, namely the Fort Henry Chapter, Sons of the American Revolution, the Friends of Wheeling, Wheeling Heritage, and the newly formed Ohio County Cemeteries Foundation. He has worked as a volunteer to preserve our community’s colonial and revolutionary heritage, hence his interest in Lord Dunmore and Dunmore’s War.

This program is presented in memory of the late Debi Smith, member and officer of the Daughters of the American Revolution.

July 25th at 7pm, lesson 2 – Lord Dunmore’s War: The last Indian conflict of the colonial era

This presentation will explain the causes and course of the last Indian War before the start of the American Revolutionary War. Because it occurred during what some would call a “quiet time,” many historians give it little attention or misinterpret its historical significance. However, John Murray, fourth Earl of Dunmore, the last royal governor of Virginia, led the colony’s soldiers “in His Majesty’s service” in a defensive war that culminated in a successful military offensive. Although the victorious Lord Dunmore returned to Williamsburg in December 1774 triumphant and at the height of his popularity, he was vilified by Virginians and fled his capital before another year had passed. At the end, participants will learn that revolution in Virginia in 1774 was not necessarily inevitable. Moreover, Dunmore’s War had a surprisingly positive effect that benefited Americans in the early years of the Revolutionary War. It also dispels many myths about Virginia’s pre-Revolutionary colonial militia. The information is based on research for “Lord Dunmore’s War: the Last Conflict of America’s Colonial Era” (Westholme, 2017).

Lecturer Glenn F. Williams is a historian at the U.S. Army Center of Military History at Fort McNair, Washington, DC. He has served as historian for the National Museum of the U.S. Army Project, the Army Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Commemoration, and the National Park Service’s American Battlefield Protection Program. He is the author of numerous books and articles, including the award-winning Year of the Hangman: George Washington’s Campaign against the Iroquois. He holds a doctorate in history from the University of Maryland.

August 1, 7pm, lesson 3 – The people in between: Dunmore’s War and the indigenous struggle for independence

Lord Dunmore’s War is considered the last colonial war and one of the most significant conflicts in West Virginia. This presentation examines the causes and consequences of the conflict and places it in the context of the 60-year war of independence of the native peoples of the “Ohio Country”.

Lecturer Travis Henline earned his master’s degree in history from West Virginia University. He has had a career in public history and museums, working for the National Park Service, the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, and the West Virginia Division of Culture and History. He is currently the curator of Indigenous history and culture for the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation in Williamsburg, Virginia.

In keeping with the mission of public libraries as places of free learning for all people, the Ohio County Public Library has created People’s University, a free program for adults who wish to continue their education in the liberal arts.

The People’s University offers courses taught by experts in the field, enabling students to pursue their goal of lifelong learning in classic subjects such as history, philosophy and literature.

All programs are free and open to the public. Participants can take as many courses as they want. There are no tests or other requirements.

For more information about People’s University’s Dunmore’s War series, email the library at [email protected] or call 304-232-0244.