“Women at War” in Washington, 18 Oct.

This evening the American Revolution Institute is hosting a panel discussion on the topic of “Women at War: Confronting Challenges in the American Revolution.” It’s based on the new collection of papers Women Waging War in the American Revolution and features the editor of and some contributors to the book.

The event description says:

The Revolutionary War dramatically affected the speed and nature of broader social, cultural and political changes, including shaping the place and roles of women in society. Whether loyalist or patriot, indigenous or immigrant, enslaved or slave-owning, going willingly into a battle or responding when war came to their doorsteps, women participated in the conflict in complex and varied ways that reveal the critical distinctions and intersections of race, class and allegiance that defined the era.

The panelists and their contributions to the book are:

• Benjamin L. Carp, “The First Incendiary: A Female Firebrand and the New York City Fire of 1776”; Carp has a whole book on The Great New York Fire of 1776 coming.
• Lauren Duval, “‘A shocking thing to tell of’: Female Civilians, Violence, and Rape under British Military Rule”; author of the award-winning article “Mastering Charleston: Property and Patriarchy in British-Occupied Charleston, 1780-82.”
• Don Hagist, “Killed, Imprisoned, Struck by Lightning: Soldiers’ Wives on Campaign with the British Army”; managing editor of the Journal of the American Revolution.
• Carin Bloom, “A Black Loyalist’s Liberty: How Lucy Banbury Took Back Her Freedom”; manager of education and programming at the Historic Charleston Foundation.
• Holly A. Mayer, moderator, editor; professor emerita of history at Duquesne University, author of Belonging to the Army: Camp Followers and Community during the American Revolution.

This discussion is scheduled to start at 6:30 P.M. and to last about an hour. It will take place in person at Anderson House in Washington, D.C., and also streamed online. To sign up for the feed, follow this link.