Annual History Conference for Educators 

This annual daylong conference immerses teachers in primary sources, material culture, and pedagogical techniques to help connect students to history. Presentations are by classroom teachers, museum staff, archivists, and academics.

With the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, each session of this conference explores one of five themes:

• Power of Place
• Revolutionary Possibilities
• Shaping Nations, Forging Identities
• Subjects, Citizens, Service
• Manufacturing Independence

Schedule: 

9:00-9:15 Welcome and Introduction—While most Americans are focused on the July 4, 2026, anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, Fort Ticonderoga will be commemorating the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution through 2033. Rich Strum, Director of Academic Programs at Fort Ticonderoga, introduces five themes Fort Ticonderoga will be using to explore the implications of the Revolution.

 9:15-10:00am Power of Place: “1776 in the Northern Department of the Continental Army”—Highlighting the critical events of October 1776, during and after the Battle of Valcour, Rich Strum and Tim Potts, SUNY New Paltz and Monticello Central School, introduce educators to key maps, documents, and objects that can bring the events of 1776 on Lake Champlain to life for students.

10:15-10:50am Manufacturing Independence: “The Gunboat New York in the 1776 American Fleet on Lake Champlain”—Examine the Gunboat New York, one of Benedict Arnold’s vessels on Lake Champlain in 1776. A survivor of the Battle of Valcour Island, discover this ship’s unique role in the defense of liberty from its creation to its service and final fate in 1777. Cameron Green is the Director of Interpretation at Fort Ticonderoga.

11:00-11:25am Weapons of War—Learn about the weapons and drill of the Continental Army at Ticonderoga in 1776.

11:30am-12:30pm Lunch Break (America’s Fort Café meal included).

12:30-1:15pm Revolutionary Possibilities: “Foes to Foes to Friends? to Foes Again: The Quebec Conquest, The Quebec Act, The Quebec Campaign in American Religious History”—Telling the story of Ticonderoga in the American Revolution means looking northwards to Quebec, not just the British invasion coming down from it in 1776 and 1777, but the American invasion of 1775. We don’t talk about it much—we have an aversion, as a country, about talking about our defeats—but it’s a shame because it represents a fascinating moment in colonial American history: an attempt to liberate Quebec from Britain and unite them with the colonies. In this session, we will talk about the religious quarrels between Quebec and the Thirteen Colonies, from the Seven Years’ War to the Quebec Act (possibly the strongest motivator for the Revolution) to the Quebec Campaign of 1775 and its inevitable failure, militarily, politically, and critically, religiously. Thomas Lecaque is Associate Professor of History at Grand View University in Iowa.

1:30-2:15pm Subjects, Citizens, Service: “Scottish Black Watch Soldiers Become Adirondack Residents”—Did you ever wonder why some towns in Upstate New York have Scottish names? The answer lies in the history of The Black Watch, a Scottish Highlander regiment under the British who fought in the Seven Years’ War and the American Revolution. In this session, participants will learn about these men and their families, how they came to settle in the Champlain Valley, and the primary sources available for teaching this unique history of Scottish immigration to New York State. Attendees will receive copies of the documents, easy access to online resources, and a printed copy of the New York Archives JR! along with New York Archives magazine featuring an article on The Black Watch. Jordan Jace is Assistant Director for Education and Development at the New York State Archives Partnership Trust.

2:30-3:15pm Revolutionary Possibilities: “French Canadians in America: The Creation of the Canadian and Nova Scotia Refugee Tract”—In 1783, New York State by act of legislature created the Canadian and Nova Scotia Refugee Tract for French Canadians who sided with the Americans during the Revolution. Because they sided with the colonies in the Battle of Quebec, they were unwelcome in their homeland even after the war ended. In this session, participants will learn about the individual experiences, the struggle of the new American government to repay these loyal soldiers, and the primary sources available for teaching about the forging of a new Franco-American community in Upstate New York. Attendees will receive copies of the primary sources and access to online resources.