War of 1812 lecture: When New York become the Empire State

MIDDLETOWN — Alfred Ronzoni will deliver the lecture "From Battleground to Empire State: New York and the Legacy of the War of 1812" at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 21, at Morrison Hall Mansion, located at 115 South St., on the Middletown campus of Orange County Community College.

The lecture is free and open to the public. It is sponsored by the New York Council for the Humanities.

Ronzoni will refute the common description of the conflict as "America’s forgotten war" by explaining how the War of 1812 was a pivotal force in establishing the young United States as an independent nation. He will show how victories at the battles of Plattsburgh, Lake Erie, Baltimore, and New Orleans gave Americans a new sense of confidence, pride, and patriotism. In addition, the lecture will explore this legacy of the War of 1812 in the creation of New York as the “Empire State.”

Ronzoni is the treasurer and a trustee on the board of the  Greater Astoria Historical Society in Queens, N.Y., and a regular contributor to Conducive Chronicle.

This event is offered by Cultural Affairs. For more information call 341-4891 or email cultural@sunyorange.edu.