J.L. Bell, Lee Wright, Mary Adams, and Ricardo A. Herrera
The Pursuit of History for America’s 250th
The Pursuit of History is the only organization in the country with a series of programs that covers the entire span of the conflict, from the rebellion in 1774 on through to the Treaty of Paris in 1783. We began the series in 2024 and at History Camp last year announced the entire slate of programs and locations through 2033. In this program we’ll explain the idea behind doing this, how the format of these programs is different than any others we know of, and the key events we’ll cover as we continue through the series of programs. We’ll also describe our plans for The Pursuit of History: The Road to Independence in Philadelphia (September 18–20) and The Pursuit of History: The British Empire Strikes Back in Trenton (November 6–8). The Philadelphia program is similar to what we did in April. The Trenton program will cover the military and political actions after the signing of the Declaration on through the crossing of the Delaware and the attack on Trenton. And we’ll look ahead to The Pursuit of History: The Challenges of Independence in Quincy in Spring 2027 and beyond.
J. L. Bell (boston1775.blogspot.com) is the author of The Road to Concord: How Four Stolen Cannon Ignited the Revolutionary War, the National Park Service report “Gen. George Washington’s Home and Headquarters — Cambridge, Massachusetts,” and numerous articles. He maintains the Boston 1775 website, offering daily postings of history, analysis, and unabashed gossip about Revolutionary New England.
Ricardo A. Herrera, PhD, began his career as an armor and cavalry officer in the U.S. Army. He is Senior Historian, George Washington Leadership Institute, George Washington Presidential Library, and Professor Emeritus, U.S. Army War College. An award-winning historian, Rick Herrera is the author of Feeding Washington’s Army: Surviving the Valley Forge Winter of 1778; For Liberty and the Republic: The American Citizen as Soldier, 1775–1861; and of numerous articles and essays. His forthcoming book is the tentatively titled, A Most Uncommon Soldier: The Life, Letters, and Journal of Edward Ashley Bowen Phelps, 1814–1893, an edited collection to be published by the University Press of Kansas. A graduate of Marquette University (PhD, 1998) and the University of California, Los Angeles (BA, 1984), Herrera has taught at Mount Union College and Texas Lutheran University.
