“The Struggle for Freedom” Webinar, 15 and 24 Sept.

The National Parks of Boston and two of the city’s historic house museums, the Shirley-Eustis House in Roxbury and the Gibson House Museum in the Back Bay, have teamed up to offer a free online presentation on “The Struggle for Freedom: Patriots of Color at Bunker Hill.”

Gabriella Hornbeck and Merrill Kohlhofer of the National Parks of Boston will share their archival research exploring the lives of Barzillai Lew, Jude Hall, Cuff Whittemore, and Cuff Blanchard-Chambers—four black men, some enslaved, some free—and their varied reasons for choosing to fight against the British at the Battle of Bunker Hill in the Revolutionary War.

At the time, the presenters note, the rebel governments offered no explicit promise of increased liberty for black men in return for military service. Nevertheless, over one hundred men of color are documented as serving in the New England army in June 1775.

After the presentation there will be a question-and-answer session, and there will be more information on the resources available for others wanting to explore this thread of American history.

This program will be presented twice:

• Tuesday, 15 September, at 12:00 noon
• Thursday, 24 September, at 7:00 P.M.

To sign up for either session, visit this site.

This program is sponsored by the Massachusetts Society of the Cincinnati.