KENT, Conn.—The Kent Memorial Library will host a talk about Litchfield County’s history in the Revolutionary War by local historian Peter Vermilyea Thursday, April 9, at 6 p.m. at the town hall.
From the first sparks of revolution in the 1770s, Litchfield County played an important role in the War of Independence. Roger Sherman of New Milford was on the five-member committee that drafted the Declaration of Independence.
Oliver Wolcott of Litchfield signed the document and oversaw the transportation of a toppled statue of King George III from New York City to his hometown, where it was melted down and turned into more than 40,000 musket balls. Those musket balls were perhaps fired by hundreds of local militia, including Black residents, who served in the war, while many other residents helped furnish supplies and information for the army.
However, not everyone supported the Patriot cause, as the county was also home to many loyal to the British king. Vermilyea, a history teacher at Housatonic Valley Regional High School and the University of Connecticut, explores the lives of two of these loyalist citizens and the Revolution’s complexity beyond simple Patriot-versus-Loyalist narratives.
The program is free and open to the public.
