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OCT

29

Fall Lecture Series: Illuminating Lives: The Stories of Several Women During the American War for Independence

Saratoga National Historical Park Visitor Center

October 29, 2026

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The chill in the air can only mean one thing—it’s time for lectures! Saratoga National Historical Park and the Friends of Saratoga Battlefield will soon welcome a series of distinguished scholars and historians for its annual Fall Lecture Series. These speakers will discuss a variety of topics to help us examine and better understand our shared histories as we mark the 250th anniversaries of the Revolutionary War and the founding of the United States. Reservations are required and may be made by emailing SARA_reservations@nps.gov.
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Event Details

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Using a variety of archival sources and research techniques, Saratoga National Historical Park Curator Christine Valosin will talk about six different women with ties to the Schuyler family or estate, illuminating little known stories of their lives during the turbulent years of the American War for Independence. The scope includes Barbara Gray Schuyler, Hannah Pettit, Bet and Britt (whose stories are closely intertwined and therefore presented together), Mary McAlpin, and Catherine Schuyler. Many of these women left little written evidence of their own, so their stories are reconstructed from indirect sources and contextual clues, allowing us to better understand their contributions and perspectives.

The focus is on the years 1776–1783, with the Schuyler Estate serving as the central anchor. The goal is to dig deep and tell a story about each woman so that we can say “we know them a little better now.”

A practiced genealogist, Valosin integrates information gleaned from a variety of sources. For this talk, she used material from Philip Schuyler’s Store Ledger, letters, 18th century prints, wartime ledger accounts, land records from the Philip Schuyler Papers, local and town histories, pension records, published and unpublished family histories, newspaper accounts, Loyalist Papers, and church records. Each source provides a different perspective, collectively illuminating the lives of six women whose contributions to the Schuyler Estate and the Revolutionary era illuminates our historical memory.

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

UPCOMING EVENTS

On behalf of the Town of Saratoga, the Village of Schuylerville, the Saratoga County 250th American Revolution Commission, and the Campaign for Saratoga 250, we are honored to host students and families of young children to participate in the annual Surrender Day Ceremony, marking the 249th anniversary of the American victory at the Battles of Saratoga.

Saratoga250 will have a presence at the Saratoga County Revolutionary Run for Veterans, a 5k run at Fort Hardy Park which benefits Saratoga County Veterans.

Enjoy Saratoga250’s Siege Living History Weekend, a two-day event full of historical interpretation and activities.

Join us for an evening of history and harmony as we mark the 249th anniversary of the British surrender at Saratoga. This commemorative concert features 18th-century music performed by the renowned Musicians of Ma’alwyck, joined by award winning soprano Vedrana Kalas, and is punctuated by the insightful historical insights of featured speaker Eric Schnitzer, Saratoga NHP Ranger and Military Historian, who will share firsthand accounts of the surrender from diverse perspectives.

On the 249th anniversary of the Surrender at Saratoga, explore the sites where history was made! Saratoga250 in partnership with Saratoga National Historical Park will have five sites open and staffed where you can learn about the event known as the Turning Point of the American Revolution!

Join Saratoga National Historical Park (SNHP) to watch the renowned story featuring the Schuyler sisters on the lawn of their father’s Saratoga estate as the Schuyler sisters take center stage in the hit Broadway musical, “Hamilton!”

Watch history come alive at the 250th Battles of Saratoga Reenactment. Two days of live muskets and maneuvers, October 9–10, 2027 in Saratoga, NY.

Join the Turning Point Parade marking 250 years since the Surrender at Saratoga. October 17, 2027, 10am in Schuylerville, NY.

Experience the warm glow and quiet atmosphere of an 18th‑century home lit entirely by candlelight. Presented in partnership with the
Old Saratoga Historical Association, this evening program invites visitors to explore the Schuyler estate and hear stories about the people who lived, worked, and visited there.

Saratoga 250 will host historian Ben Haley for a look at how Massachusetts and New York sought, jointly at first, to commemorate Henry Knox’s 1775–76 winter artillery trek. Haley, Director of the National Register of Historic Places program for Massachusetts, will examine how that early cooperation ultimately gave way to competing priorities and divergent interpretations.

      Keep America’s Turning Point Alive  icon-star-red

    Keep America’s Turning Point alive for generations to come by making a tax-deductible donation to the Campaign for Saratoga 250, Inc. Our certified 501c3 nonprofit organization is dedicated to promoting awareness, education, and preservation of critical assets of the Battles of Saratoga. Your support will help promote historical awareness of new generations of people across the region, nation, and globe.