Registration required: Saratoga National Historical Park

The role of African Americans, free and enslaved, in the regiments of the Continental Army is not well-known; neither is the fact that relatively large numbers served in southern regiments and that the greatest number served alongside their white comrades in integrated units. John Rees will discuss black soldiers’ acceptance, service, and experiences during and after the War for American Independence, focusing on those who served in Continental regiments. African American women with the army will also be featured.

John U. Rees has been writing for almost 40 years on the experiences of common soldiers and women in the armies of the American Revolution. He has authored over 200 articles, most available online. His first book, “They Were Good Soldiers: African Americans Serving in the Continental Army, 1775-1783 was published in 2019; his second, titled Don Troiani’s Black Soldiers in America’s Wars, 1754-1865, came out in January 2025.

Support for the Fall Lecture Series is provided by Friends of Saratoga Battlefield. Reservations are required due to limited space. Email us (SARA_Reservations@nps.gov) to reserve your seat!

Registration required: Saratoga National Historical Park

Agrippa Hull was a free African American resident of Stockbridge, MA. He enlisted in the Continental Army in May 1777 and served for six years, first with General John Paterson of the Massachusetts Line and then with Tadeusz Kościuszko, the Polish military engineer. Declining Kościuszko’s offer to settle in Poland after the war, Hull returned to Stockbridge where he became a pillar of the community. Agrippa Hull’s story is remarkable for what he did during his lifetime and how much documentation remains from which we can extrapolate. Through letters, diary entries, land deeds, and even accounts in mercantile ledgers the story emerges of a member of the African American community in 18th century Berkshire County – a community whose stories can otherwise be difficult to trace.

Speaker Talya Leodari is the Curator at the Stockbridge Library Museum and Archives in Stockbridge, MA and has worked in the cultural heritage field for over twenty years. She holds an A.B. from Bryn Mawr College and an M.A. and Ph.D. from Newcastle University in the UK. Her career has spanned many fields, but her focus throughout has been an interest in stories: whose stories get told and by whom, which stories are remembered and how. She is honored to be able to do this work at the Stockbridge Library.

Support for the Fall Lecture Series is provided by Friends of Saratoga Battlefield. Reservations are required due to limited space. Email us (SARA_Reservations@nps.gov) to reserve your seat!

Registration required: Saratoga National Historical Park

The progress of the army under British Lieutenant-General John Burgoyne was impeded by the logistical requirements of continuing its advance toward Albany in the summer of 1777. Burgoyne sent a detachment commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Friedrich Baum to procure supplies in the newly proclaimed state of Vermont in an attempt to overcome this obstacle. Expecting little in the way of resistance, crown forces instead received a decisive check from the flinty General John Stark who commanded a collection of Vermont, Massachusetts and New Hampshire state militias in addition to Warner’s Regiment. Victory at Bennington paved the way for victory in the Battles of Saratoga and ultimately in the war itself. Interpretive Programs Assistant David Pitlyk will deliver a presentation on the history of the Battle of Bennington drawing from primary source material and archaeological findings. The presentation will also touch on how the battle has been commemorated and interpreted over time, both in New York and Vermont.

David Pitlyk has served as the administrator of Bennington Battlefield for the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation since 2015. He previously worked as the Interpretation Coordinator for the Destroyer Escort Historical Museum (USS SLATER) and graduated from the University at Albany with degrees in history and education. In his spare time, he is also a (very green) member of the recreated 24th Regiment of Foot.

Support for the Fall Lecture Series is provided by Friends of Saratoga Battlefield. Reservations are required due to limited space. Email us (SARA_Reservations@nps.gov) to reserve your seat!