The local history of the American Revolution and the War of 1812 is shrouded in mystery for many audiences. On the island, we may be familiar with the Margaretta incident in Machias, or the Penobscot Expedition of 1779 during the revolution, or perhaps the War of 1812 through the story of the Tenedos raid of 1814. However, these seemingly isolated moments conceal a longer and more detailed plan for Downeast Maine that envisioned the creation of a new royal colony under British rule. Examining how British authorities saw the region and interacted with Mainers in peace and war reveals a different picture of the past when we view local history through British eyes. 

Dr. Patrick Callaway is a lecturer in the Department of History at the University of Maine, and the Collections Manager at the Mount Desert Island Historical Society. He earned his Ph.D. in Canadian-American History in 2019 from the University of Maine, and was a Fulbright exchange student to Dalhousie University from 2018-19. His research focuses on the economic connections between the United States and British North America in the late 18th and early 19th century.    

This program will be offered in person and virtually through Zoom and is a collaboration between the MDI Historical Society and the Jesup Memorial Library. This program will be offered in person and virtually through Zoom and is a collaboration between the MDI Historical Society and the Jesup Memorial Library. Register at: https://www.jesuplibrary.org/events/callaway 

IMAGE: “A New and Correct Map of the British Colonies in North America,” Laurie & Whittle, 1794. Courtesy of the Osher Map Library and the Smith Center for Cartographic Education