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Lycoming College Ewing Lecture to address Loyalists in Revolutionary America

Lycoming College Ewing Lecture to address Loyalists in Revolutionary America

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Lycoming College welcomes T. Cole Jones, Ph.D., for the 48th annual Robert H. Ewing Lecture. The event, entitled “The Tory Rising: Insurrection in the Revolutionary South,” will be held on Thursday, March 23, at 7:30 p.m., in the Trogner Presentation Room, at the Krapf Gateway Center. The event is free and open to the public.

This presentation also shares its title with Jones’ current in-the-works book. Both the talk and the book examine the topic of the Tory political party during the American Revolution. Specifically, Jones seeks to dissect the British loyalists who fought against the revolutionary Whigs in what would become the American south.

Jones is an associate professor of history at Purdue University, where he also works as an associate professor for their Cornerstone: Learning for Living program.

Jones’ specialization lies in the history of colonial and revolutionary America, as well as how the war and society during that time continue to impact us today. His most recent book, “Captives of Liberty: Prisoners of War and the Politics of Vengeance in the American Revolution” (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2020), won the 2021 Society of the Cincinnati Prize from the American Revolution Institute, while also being a finalist for the “Journal of the American Revolution” 2020 Book of the Year Award.

As mentioned, Jones is working on his next book, titled “The Tory Rising: Insurrection in the Revolutionary South,” which he has received support for through fellowships from the Virginia Historical Society, the David Library of the American Revolution, the Georgian Papers Programme from King's College London, and George Washington's Mount Vernon. He received his B.A. in history from Duke University, and his Ph.D. in history from John Hopkins University.

The Ewing Lecture Series was established in 1973 to honor Robert H. Ewing for his 27 years of teaching and service at Lycoming College. A revered teacher and friend of the College, his life was characterized by a deep religious faith, a passion for history, and a strong devotion to a liberal arts education. These qualities touched the lives of all who came in contact with him and led his many friends to establish this annual Lecture Series, which seeks to bring distinguished historians to campus to share their expertise with the Lycoming community.

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