War of 1812 historic site tour and symposium set for Oct. 13 and 14

Date:  October 13, 2013  -  October 14, 2013
Time:  All Day Event
Contact: Jim McConnell, 734-525-2962 or Ed Golder, 517-335-3014
Agency: Natural Resources

April 18, 2013

The War of 1812 is no longer history. Registration is now open for a package deal of hands-on learning activities and inspirational lectures, sponsored by the Michigan Commission on the Commemoration of the Bicentennial of the War of 1812.

Slated for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. pn Oct. 13, the "Historic Sites of Southeast Michigan" bus tour departs from the Detroit Historical Museum, taking participants on an adventure through regional War of 1812 sites.

The following day, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Detroit Historical Museum, enjoy the International Symposium, "Remembering the forgotten conflict: Reflections of the War of 1812" with renowned speakers and authors from around the country.

The historic site bus tour, also sponsored by the Detroit Historical Society, includes visits to the River Raisin National Battlefield Park in Monroe, Hull's Trace in Wayne County, the site of the Battle of Brownstown and the Battle of Monguagon Historical Marker in Trenton. The tour features talks by Michigan War of 1812 Bicentennial commissioner Jim McConnell and local docents at various historic sites, as well as lunch at McGeady?s Town Pub, a rustic-style Irish pub in Monroe known as the last place General Custer had a drink.

The International Symposium, held the following day, includes a number of interesting topics and esteemed presenters, including:

• "War in the Chesapeake," presented by Christopher T. George, historian, editor of The Journal of the War of 1812 and author of Terror on the Chesapeake: The War of 1812 on the Bay
• "War on the Niagara," presented by Major John R. Grodzinski, professor of History at the Royal Military College of Canada, managing editor of the Canadian Army Journal and author of The War of 1812: An Annotated Bibliography.
• "What You Should Know about the War of 1812," presented by Donald R. Hickey, history professor at Wayne State College, Nebraska, and author of The War of 1812: A Forgotten Conflict, winner of the American Military Institute's Best Book Award
• "Fighting on Fresh and Salt Waters," presented by Jeff Seiken, Air Force historian and author of Thomas Jefferson and the Tripolitan War, 1801-1805, The United States and the Contest for Lakes Erie and Ontario, 1812-1815 and The 60 Years' War for the Great Lakes, 1754-1814
• "War on the Gulf Coast," presented by Gene Smith, professor of history at Texas Christian University, curator of history at the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History and author of The Slaves' Gamble: Choosing Sides in the War of 1812

For more information on the symposium, email James McConnell at jam1776@sbcglobal.net.

Registration fees include: Combined site tour/symposium package - $150 Detroit Historical Society (DHS) member, $160 non-member; historic site tour only - $70 DHS member, $80 non-member; or symposium only - $95 a person (no member discount).

Participants for the historic site tour-only option may also register online through the Detroit Historical Society. To register for the Remembering the Forgotten Conflict event or to register for both events combined, download the registration form on the www.michigan.gov/war1812 website.

Registration for both events closes on Oct. 4.

Reduced hotel rates are available to attendees at The Inn on Ferry Street in Detroit, and must be made by Sept. 12. Call 313-871-6000 and ask for "1812" rate of $129/night.

The symposium is sponsored by the Michigan Commission on the Commemoration of the Bicentennial of the War of 1812, Consulate General of Canada - Detroit, Detroit Historical Society, DTE Energy, Historical Society of Michigan, Mackinac State Historic Parks, Michigan Council for History Education, Michigan Humanities Council, National Society of Colonial Dames of America, the River Raisin National Battlefield Park, Jeannine and David Hales, Deanna and Dan Harrison, Russell Magnaghi and Diane Kordich, Annette and Jim McConnell, Jeanne & Dick Micka, Valerie and Phil Porter, Grace and Russ Smith and Lynn and Jim Spurr.

The governor-appointed Michigan Commission on the Commemoration of the Bicentennial of the War of 1812 is charged with encouraging, planning and developing activities, events, programs, observances and services appropriate to commemorate Michigan's role in the War of 1812. More information, including a complete list of War of 1812 bicentennial events, can be found at www.michigan.gov/war1812.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is committed to the conservation, protection, management, use and enjoyment of the state's natural and cultural resources for current and future generations. For more information, go to www.michigan.gov/dnr.