Join Historic Southern Indiana for the third annual educational symposia dealing with the War of 1812 and the impact on the Indiana Territory, the Midwest, and the nation. Our first symposium, "The Gathering Storm: The Rise of Tecumseh," addressed events prior to and during 1810 that led up to the conflict. The second symposium, "1811: The Year of the Decision," dealt with the events of 1811, most notably the Battle of Tippecanoe. This year's program will focus on the events of 1812, with emphasis on political themes and the militia of Kentucky and Indiana.
Who Should Attend?
The event is designed for all interested persons - history scholars, K-12 teachers, history buffs, residents in Vincennes and the Wabash Valley
- and anyone attracted to reflecting on our heritage as we mark an important event in our country's history.
| 9:30 a.m. - 10 a.m. | Registration - Vincennes University's Indiana Center for Applied Technology |
| 10 a.m. - 10:15 a.m. | Welcome and Introductions - Kristalyn Shefveland, University of Southern Indiana and Leslie Townsend, University of Southern Indiana |
| 10:15 a.m. - 11:15 a.m. | "Creating a Frontier War: Harrison, Prophetstown, and the War of 1812," Patrick G. Bottiger, Florida Gulf Coast University |
| 11:15 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. | Break |
| 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. | "What Were the Kentucky Militia's and Anglo-Native American's War Plans, Strategy, and Tactics in the Northwest Territory?" Richard Ferguson, Kentucky Colonel; Lieutenant Colonel James A. Hendricks, U.S. Army (Retired); and John Trowbridge, Chief Historian of Kentucky National Guard |
| 12:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. | Lunch and Tours - Grouseland, Vincennes State Historic Site, and George Rogers Clark National Historical Park |
| 2:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. | "Such a War is Wholly Out of the Question: Planning, Funding, and Decision Making in 1812," Lisa Morales, Lone Star College |
| 3:30 p.m. - 3:45p.m. | Wrap up and Adjournment |
Patrick G. Bottiger, assistant professor of history at Florida Gulf Coast University, received his Ph.D. in American History from the University of Oklahoma. His research interests include American Indian communities of colonial and early national U.S., social construction of race, the Revolutionary Frontier and the Ohio Valley, Prophetstown, and Indiana history.
James A. Hendricks is a retired lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army. Currently an instructor at Riverside Military Academy in Gainesville, Georgia, Hendricks has taught courses on military science including special topics such as the campaign and political strategy in the Northwest Territory during the War of 1812.
John Trowbridge, Kentucky National Guard command historian, is a Vincennes University alumnus and 18-year veteran of the U.S. Army. He has written about important Kentuckians and the Kentucky military's role in major conflicts throughout U.S. history. His work has won awards from the American Association for State and Local History, the Historical Confederation of Kentucky, and the U.S. Department of Defense.
Richard Ferguson has done extensive research on the War of 1812 in Indiana, particularly the battle known as Spur's Defeat. He was awarded an official Kentucky colonel for his efforts to locate the battlefield. Along with John Trowbridge and James Hendricks, he coauthored They Were Too Drunk with Firewater and Fear, a historical novel about the events surrounding the battle.
Lisa Morales is assistant dean of instruction at Lone Star College-Tomball. She holds a Ph.D. in history with a secondary field in economics from the University of North Texas. Her research interests include finance in the early national period, the development of banking functions in United States, and the financial history of the War of 1812.
Persons desiring to spend the night(s) of June 29 and/or June 30 in Vincennes should contact one of the following local hotels/motels directly.
Best Western Inn
