THE CAPITOL DOME
50
T
he U.S. Capitol Historical Society sponsored two addi-
tional talks about the War of 1812. On May 21, Gene
Allen Smith presented stories from his book, e Slaves'
Gamble, which investigates the various ways enslaved people
used the war to "grab at freedom." Each person made different
choices—choosing to fight or not, to join the British or the
Americans—and encountered individual consequences; some
found freedom and others additional heartbreak.
On August 6, John McCavitt returned to the Society
podium to discuss his continuing work on Gen. Robert Ross,
this time to question whether Ross deserves the title "Capital
Conflagrator." After walking through the events of the British
Chesapeake campaign and Ross' expectations and actions the
night he was in Washington, McCavitt suggested that even
though much of Washington burned during Ross' visit, it
wasn't necessarily a given occurrence or a result of his desire
for vengeance—nor was conflagrator a title he actively desired
or claimed afterward. For more, see McCavitt's article in this
issue (page 2).
Calendar of Events
NOVEMBER
Lecture by C. Joseph Genetin-Pilawa,
George Mason University
Wednesday, November 12 at noon
Ketchum Hall, VFW Building
200 Maryland Ave, NE
Topic: "A Curious Removal: Leta Myers Smart,
e Rescue, and e Discovery of America"
RSVP online at www.uschs.org
or call (202) 543-8919 x38.
2014 FREEDOM AWARD AND RECEPTION
Honoring Rep. John Lewis
Wednesday, November 19 at 6 pm
For Cornerstone Members and above
For information or membership inquiries,
visit www.uschs.org or call (202) 543-8919 x20.
USCHS CLOSINGS
November 26–28 (anksgiving)
December 24–26 (Christmas)
December 31–January 2 (New Year's Day)
Visit www.uschs.org for an updated calendar
and additional events!
John McCavitt
LUNCHTIME LECTURES CONTINUE FOCUS ON WAR OF 1812
Gene Allen Smith
