History of the Sullivan/Clinton Campaign Against the Iroqouis is Subject of Free Talk at Military Museum

SARATOGA SPRINGS , NY--The American offensive against the Iroquois in western New York during the Revolutionary War will be the subject of a free talk on Saturday, May 24 at the New York State Military Museum in Saratoga Springs.

The Memorial Day weekend talk by sociologist, artist and writer Dr. Robert Spiegelman will use animated maps and dramatic art to tell the story of the campaign led by Major General John Sullivan and Brigadier General James Clinton from June to October 1779.

The campaign was launched to stop Iroquois and Tory attacks on the New York frontiers. Those attacks were so destructive that General George Washington felt ending them was enough to detach almost 5,000 Soldiers from the Continental Army and send them marching up the Susquehanna River into the heartland of the Iroquois Confederacy.

The Sullivan/Clinton campaign has more historical markers commemorating it than any other event in New York, it has been nearly forgotten.

In his talk Spiegelman It introduces the Campaign's origins, key players, main events, tragic and victorious aftermaths, and lasting results. Beyond the military operation, he talks about its impact on native culture, the land and today's environment. Back from the "memory hole," Sullivan/Clinton becomes an essential lens on New York and American history, according to Spiegelman. The Sullivan/Clinton campaign is high drama, he says.

A college teacher for 12 years, Dr. Robert Spiegelman holds a Doctorate in Sociology from The City University of New York Graduate Center, and teaches it at several CUNY campuses.

The New York State Military Museum, located at 61 Lake Ave in Saratoga Springs is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Admission is free.

For more information contact Courtney Burns, the director of the New York State Military Museum at 518-581-5101