Join the Adams Presidential Center for an engaging Adams Speaker Series discussion exploring the diverse experiences, extraordinary contributions, and often-overlooked stories of soldiers who fought in the American Revolutionary War. Distinguished historians and award-winning authors Shirley Green, PhD, and Friederike Baer, PhD, will share fascinating insights into the lives of Black soldiers and German soldiers, highlighting their pivotal roles in America’s fight for independence. As we commemorate America’s 250th anniversary, this thought-provoking conversation will offer fresh perspectives on the individuals whose courage and sacrifices helped shape our nation’s founding.
Featured Speakers
Shirley Green, PhD
Historian and Author
Shirley Green, PhD, is a respected historian, professor, and author dedicated to exploring the profound impact of Revolutionary Black figures throughout history. Her writings illuminate the contributions and legacies of influential Black freeborn soldiers during the Revolutionary War. Dr. Green brings forth insightful narratives that challenge conventions and celebrate unique individuals. Her book, Revolutionary Blacks: Discovering the Frank Brothers, Freeborn Men of Color, Soldiers of Independence, details the stories of two ancestors who fought in the Revolutionary War, a book that grew out of her own family’s oral history. She is an Adjunct Professor of History at the University of Toledo and Bowling Green State University, and the Director of the Toledo Police Museum in Toledo, Ohio. She received her Ph.D. in history from Bowling Green State University following a twenty-six-year career in law enforcement.
Friederike Baer, PhD
Historian and Author
Friederike Baer is an award-winning author and Professor of History at Pennsylvania State University. Originally from Germany, she holds a Ph.D. in early American history from Brown University. She is the author of The Trial of Frederick Eberle: Language, Patriotism and Citizenship in Philadelphia’s German Community, 1790-1830, which was awarded the St. Paul, Biglerville Prize in American Lutheran History, and Hessians: German Soldiers in the American Revolutionary War, which was honored with the American Roundtable of Philadelphia Annual Book Award, Inaugural American Battlefield Trust Prize for History Honorable Mention, and Society of the Cincinnati Prize. Dr. Baer served as a historical advisor and interviewee for The American Revolution, a documentary film by Ken Burns, Sarah Botstein, and David Schmidt.