Twenty-Sixth Annual War College of the Seven Years’ War

Fort Ticonderoga presents the Twenty-Sixth Annual War College of the Seven Years’ War over three days, Friday-Sunday, May 20-22, 2022. Since its beginning in 1996, the War College has become a top venue for historians on subjects related to the Seven Years’ War in North America and beyond, drawing speakers and participants from across North America and around the globe.

An enthusiastic audience represents all levels of interest, from general lovers of history to scholars. The War College offers a unique, informal setting that promotes interaction and discussion between speakers and attendees. Our speakers include both established and new scholars studying the French & Indian War in North America and the broader Seven Years’ War internationally.

Attendees can participate in person or join the conference from home via the Fort Ticonderoga Center for Digital History.

Confirmed Sessions: 

The Seven Years’ War and Political-Judicial Treaty Interpretation—Lessons for Contemporary International Crises—The Seven Years’ War was a precedential event in the history of international law and international relations. This paper offers an overview of its significant political, judicial, and legal elements, highlighting their contemporary relevance for legal redress to current global crises. Itai Apter is a Visiting Scholar at Washington College of Law, American University. His main research interests include the history of public international law and its interaction with today’s global political and legal order.

Native American Practices of Captivity and the Development of Prisoner-of-War Practices in the Southeast—Native peoples still held significant power in the 18^th-century southeast and had expectations and traditions around captive-taking and captive-holding that did not necessarily adhere to imperial policy coming from Europe. Maintaining good relationships with indigenous groups was an essential project for imperial powers, one that shaped their relationship to prisoner-taking. Adrian Finucane is an Associate Professor of History at Florida Atlantic University, working on a book on prisoners of war in the early 18^th century.

“Accustomed to Carrying a Burden”: Women at Fort Carillon—Through 18^th-century military theory and on-the-ground examples plucked from the archives, this talk will shed light on the experiences of women assisting the French army at Carillon and in Canada. Joseph Gagné is a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Windsor. His full c.v. can be viewed at: https://novafrancia.wordpress.com.

Frontier Intermediaries and the French and Indian War: The Politics of Competing Diplomatic Networks in the Ohio Country – During the two decades leading up to the French and Indian War, Indigenous leaders, provincial elites, imperial officials, and frontier traders competed with one another to expand and strengthen their political and commercial power in and around the Ohio Valley. This paper explores how Indigenous and European Americans manipulated diplomatic networks in the Ohio Country in ways that complemented and undermined the geopolitical designs of the polities surrounding the trans-Appalachian frontier before and during the French and Indian War.  Ryan Langton is a Ph.D. Candidate in Early American History at Temple University. His dissertation explores cross-cultural diplomacy along the trans-Appalachian frontier between 1720 and 1770.

Crucible of the Partisan: Johann Ewald in the Seven Years’ War—Johann Ewald is well known as one of the main sources for the Hessian experience in the American War of Independence. This presentation examines his formative experiences in the Seven Years’ War. Jim Mc Intye is an Associate Professor of History at Moraine Valley Community College in Palos Hills, Illinois, and the author of Johann Ewald: Jäger Commander. He serves as an adjunct professor in the United States War College Fleet Seminar Program.

Borderland Redemption in the Seven Years’ War: Traders, Traitors, and Outcasts in the Lake Ontario Region.—Spaces between empires, such as the Lake Ontario borderlands, often proved to be safe havens for a variety of historical actors on the margins of their societies. However, the Seven Years’ War dramatically changed the roles and geopolitical value of these individuals, as the once disreputable became sought after as informants, spies, and agents. Greg Rogers has a Ph.D. in Canadian-American History from the University of Maine. He currently works in advertising but continues to teach courses in Early American History.  

European Native Military: Reflection of the Seven Years’ War on Indian Militarism—The European hostilities within the Indian subcontinent had a wider narrative. The strife between the English and the French companies was not just a mere struggle for power over monopolistic trading rights, but a reflection of the unrest among their parent countries. This paper is an attempt to study the transformation of Indian militarism due to European influence and the military reforms adopted to form an efficient Indian Native Army.  Swarna Suresh is a Ph.D. candidate in South Indian History at Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit.  Her dissertation explores the socio-military history of the Madras Presidency during the formative period of British India.

The Battle of Carillon, July 8, 1758
Sessions on Sunday morning focus on the Battle of Carillon, the largest battle fought on the North American continent before the American Civil War.

9:00-9:30am (re)Joining the Battle: A Refresher on the Battle of Carillon, July 8, 1758—Dr. Matthew Keagle, Curator of Fort Ticonderoga, will provide a recounting of the cataclysmic Battle of Carillon. Fought on the afternoon of July 8, 1758, this engagement seared itself into the psyche of the Atlantic World and earned Ticonderoga a formidable reputation. Whether deeply familiar with the engagement, or new to its history, this presentation will provide background on one of the largest, and bloodiest, battles fought in 18th -century North America.

9:45-10:15am “…the last part of the world that God made…”: A New Chapter for the Carillon Battlefield—The Battle of Carillon and its blood-soaked fields have persisted in historical memory, and captivated generations of visitors, since the disastrous day in July 1758. Learn about the recent historical analysis and survey of the Carillon Battlefield and the future initiatives for this remarkable site. Margaret Staudter is the Director of Archaeology at Fort Ticonderoga and oversees the development of the archaeology program.

10:30-11:00am Telling the Story of Carillon—Join Vice President of Public History Stuart Lilie to discover the many ways Fort Ticonderoga’s staff keeps the memory of the 1758 Battle of Carillon alive today. Explore the process of recreating this dramatic story in living history programming and get a sneak peek into a collaboration with military artist Don Troiani to capture our current understanding of the battle in vivid oil on canvas.

11:00-11:30am The Battle of Carillon—An informal time to continue discussions with the Sunday lineup of speakers and to discuss Don Troiani’s latest work.