filmov
tv
SAHR Centenary Conference - Bonus North American Session
Показать описание
As those who attended the in-person portion of our centenary research conference at the National Army Museum in September will know, it was sadly not possible for our four transatlantic speakers to join us for the event. We therefore rounded off the research element of the Centenary programme with a final online session similar in format to those that took place in April and May. Once again we were hosted on Demio by Dudley Giles of Battlefield Events and Tours, and the session was chaired by Dr Andrew Bamford. The event featured talks on late Georgian military fashion, the 1870 Red River Expedition, the American Revolutionary War and the history of Fort Ticonderoga as a museum.
Abstracts:
The Red River Expedition: British Regulars and Canadian Volunteers Crossing the Canadian Shield - Paul McNicholls
In the spring of 1870 the last British Army military expedition in North America set out from Toronto bound for the Red River Settlement, the site of modern day Winnipeg. The force was the first independent command for Colonel Garnet Wolseley, reputed to be the model for the ‘modern major general’, and who a quarter of a century later would become the commander-in-chief of the British Army. The force was spearheaded by a regular British battalion with two battalions of Canadian volunteers following behind. As the force would largely be cut off during its journey, organization and logistics were essential and this was reflected in Wolseley’s planning. With hindsight it is quite clear that there was never much threat of opposition to the expedition’s progress from the Metis population and their leader Louis Riel at the Red River Settlement. Nevertheless, there were a great many obstacles for the force to overcome and these included the geographic challenges of the journey, opposition from the United States, the threat of Fenian incursions, and most interestingly, secrecy and disagreements between the British military and Canadian civil authorities.
Food Fight: British Strategy, the Contest for Resources, and the Occupation of Philadelphia, 1777-1778 - Dr. Ricardo A. Herrera
British military strategy in 1777 to 1778, as executed by Gen. Sir William Howe in America, was a far cry from the strategy conceived by Lord George Germain, the colonial secretary. Rather than cooperating with Lt. Gen. John Burgoyne’s army advancing southward from Canada, Howe invaded Pennsylvania and occupied Philadelphia. Once ensconced there, Howe put aside any thoughts of bringing Gen. George Washington to battle, and instead focused on gathering food, forage, and fuel for his army. Foraging, not seeking battle, was the reality of British strategy from October 1777 through May 1778.
’The Exquisite militaire:’ The Army Officer, Fashion, and Satire in the aftermath of Waterloo - Dr. Luke Reynolds
This paper examines the depictions of dandified army officers in the popular literary and print culture of post-Waterloo Britain. It argues that this popular trope experienced a post-war boom thanks to two separate groups: new officers that sought to compensate for a lack of martial experience with swagger and fashion; and radical satirists who sought to explore civil-military tensions and criticize the military establishment in a socially acceptable way.
Over There: Ticonderoga and the Exhibition of Trans-Atlantic Military History - Dr. Matthew Keagle
This paper will examine the evolution of the Fort Ticonderoga museum, focusing on its development as a trans-Atlantic institution in the early 20th century exhibiting a shared military heritage. Early connections with British historians, dealers, and artists, including the nascent Society for Army Historical Research, defined the early history of the Fort Ticonderoga Museum. The paper will discuss how this emphasis has waxed and waned, and how over the course of a century the museum has, in some ways, circled back to an updated version of our founder’s commitment to a shared trans-national history.
Abstracts:
The Red River Expedition: British Regulars and Canadian Volunteers Crossing the Canadian Shield - Paul McNicholls
In the spring of 1870 the last British Army military expedition in North America set out from Toronto bound for the Red River Settlement, the site of modern day Winnipeg. The force was the first independent command for Colonel Garnet Wolseley, reputed to be the model for the ‘modern major general’, and who a quarter of a century later would become the commander-in-chief of the British Army. The force was spearheaded by a regular British battalion with two battalions of Canadian volunteers following behind. As the force would largely be cut off during its journey, organization and logistics were essential and this was reflected in Wolseley’s planning. With hindsight it is quite clear that there was never much threat of opposition to the expedition’s progress from the Metis population and their leader Louis Riel at the Red River Settlement. Nevertheless, there were a great many obstacles for the force to overcome and these included the geographic challenges of the journey, opposition from the United States, the threat of Fenian incursions, and most interestingly, secrecy and disagreements between the British military and Canadian civil authorities.
Food Fight: British Strategy, the Contest for Resources, and the Occupation of Philadelphia, 1777-1778 - Dr. Ricardo A. Herrera
British military strategy in 1777 to 1778, as executed by Gen. Sir William Howe in America, was a far cry from the strategy conceived by Lord George Germain, the colonial secretary. Rather than cooperating with Lt. Gen. John Burgoyne’s army advancing southward from Canada, Howe invaded Pennsylvania and occupied Philadelphia. Once ensconced there, Howe put aside any thoughts of bringing Gen. George Washington to battle, and instead focused on gathering food, forage, and fuel for his army. Foraging, not seeking battle, was the reality of British strategy from October 1777 through May 1778.
’The Exquisite militaire:’ The Army Officer, Fashion, and Satire in the aftermath of Waterloo - Dr. Luke Reynolds
This paper examines the depictions of dandified army officers in the popular literary and print culture of post-Waterloo Britain. It argues that this popular trope experienced a post-war boom thanks to two separate groups: new officers that sought to compensate for a lack of martial experience with swagger and fashion; and radical satirists who sought to explore civil-military tensions and criticize the military establishment in a socially acceptable way.
Over There: Ticonderoga and the Exhibition of Trans-Atlantic Military History - Dr. Matthew Keagle
This paper will examine the evolution of the Fort Ticonderoga museum, focusing on its development as a trans-Atlantic institution in the early 20th century exhibiting a shared military heritage. Early connections with British historians, dealers, and artists, including the nascent Society for Army Historical Research, defined the early history of the Fort Ticonderoga Museum. The paper will discuss how this emphasis has waxed and waned, and how over the course of a century the museum has, in some ways, circled back to an updated version of our founder’s commitment to a shared trans-national history.