The Maryland War of 1812 Bicentennial Commission, the State Tourism Office, and the National Park Service are preparing to celebrate the Bicentennial of the War of 1812. To plan cultural tourism and educational initiatives commemorating Maryland’s contribution to the defense and heritage of the nation, the agencies presented the “Head of the Bay Star-Spangled 200 Conference in Havre de Grace on Dec. 10.
I did a presentation introducing lesser-known interpretive resources for the event. Drawing on seldom used primary documents, I talked about eyewitnesses, such as Hettie Boulden and Judge Sample. Hattie, a slave on a plantation, was forced to accompany the British on one incursion, since she knew the territory. Judge Sample, a Congressman from Indiana, grew up on the Eastern Shore and was a young boy here when the war occurred. A few years before his death, he writes letters back to Maryland, recalling those dangerous days. There were others sources, such as surviving letters from a militiaman and diaries. It was great to see the interest these sources created for stakeholders attending the conference.