Perils at Sea: The Terrible Troubles of Richard Law with Professor Nancy Steenburg

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  • Date & time 6p – 1:30a, 03/20/2013
  • Description "Perils of Sea and Causes of the War of 1812: The Terrible Troubles of Richard Law" is the title of a free public program sponsored by the Stonington Historical Society on Wednesday, March 20, at 6 pm at the LaGrua Center Stonington Commons, 32 Water Street in Stonington Borough when Dr. Nancy Streenburg will talk about some of the events leading up to a war that shook southeast Connecticut. Why would a young nation with barely an army or navy get involved in a conflict with the most powerful military force in the world? Dr. Steenburg’s presentation fills in some of the gaps, with the narrative of the adventures of New London’s Richard Law in the years prior to 1812. Law was a merchant ship captain plying his trade and seeking profits in the dangerous waters of the Atlantic, trying to avoid confrontation with both the British and the French ships patrolling the seas. Captured by Norwegian privateers, Law suffered more than two years of detention as he tried to free his ship and crew from those he called “vultures of the sea.” This exciting story reveals many of the issues surrounding the War of 1812. Dr. Steenburg is adjunct history professor and Program Coordinator of the Bachelor of General Studies program at the University of Connecticut, Avery Point campus, where she teaches various aspects of Connecticut history, among other subjects. She is president of the New London County Historical Society, vice president of the Association for the Study of Connecticut History, and a former board member of the Stonington Historical Society. She was the winner of the 2006 Homer D. Babbidge, Jr. Award from the Association for the Study of Connecticut History for the best book on Connecticut history in 2005, for her book:Children and the Criminal Law in Connecticut (Routledge, 2005). Her recent publications include “Stepping Outside her Sphere: The Intellectual Adventures of Frances Manwaring Caulkins” in Connecticut History (Spring 2012) and “Attack on Stonington” in Connecticut Explored (vol. 10/No. 3 Summer 2012).
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    La Grua Center

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