In a public conversation with WMHT's Matt Rogowicz, acclaimed historian Rick Atkinson will discuss the critical role Lake George played 250 years ago in Henry Knox’s Noble Train of Artillery
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
An Evening with Rick Atkinson: The Revolution Comes Alive in Lake George
In a public conversation with WMHT's Matt Rogowicz, acclaimed historian Rick Atkinson will discuss the critical role Lake George played 250 years ago in Henry Knox’s Noble Train of Artillery
LAKE GEORGE, NY — WMHT Public Media and the Lake George Battlefield Park Alliance (LGBPA) in association with Warren County Commission for the 250th Anniversary of the American Revolution will co-host a free public conversation with Pulitzer Prize–winning historian Rick Atkinson on Thursday, December 12, at 7:00 p.m. at the Lake George Junior–Senior High School auditorium. WMHT host and senior producer Matthew Rogowicz will lead a discussion on the Revolutionary War, the pivotal role Lake George played in the conflict, and Atkinson’s latest work.
The public can sign up to attend this free event:
The evening will highlight Henry Knox’s Noble Train of Artillery, which traveled down Lake George 250 years ago in December 1775. The region was essential to the success of Knox’s operation: the lake and local support made it possible to move 59 pieces of captured artillery from Fort Ticonderoga to Fort George in just three days, the first of the numerous challenges Knox would face in the 300-mile journey to Boston. Knox’s feat enabled General George Washington to fortify Dorchester Heights, forcing the British evacuation of Boston and giving the Continental Army one of its earliest strategic victories.
Atkinson and Rogowicz will also explore the broader sweep of the war, drawing on Atkinson’s new book, The Fate of the Day, the second volume of his acclaimed Revolutionary War trilogy. The discussion will reference Ken Burns's The American Revolution, now airing on WMHT, in which Atkinson appears, offering historical insight and contemporary reflections. Audience members will have the opportunity to participate in a Q&A session with Atkinson. As a companion to this landmark documentary, WMHT produced Field Trip Visits the American Revolution. Matthew Rogowicz is joined by co-host Nicole Van Slyke Kubisch on a journey to the historic sites throughout the Capital Region that played a key part in the revolution.
Beginning at 6:30 p.m., a quartet from the Glens Falls Symphony Orchestra will perform period music as guests arrive. Following the conversation, at approximately 8:30 p.m., the public will be able to purchase the first two books in Atkinson’s trilogy—The British Are Coming and The Fate of the Day—and have them signed by the author.
This program is the third and final event on December 12 hosted by the Lake George Battlefield Park Alliance and the Warren County Commission for the 250th Anniversary of the American Revolution to commemorate the arrival of Henry Knox and the Noble Train of Artillery at the head of Lake George. Earlier in the day, a re-enactment of Knox’s arrival by an18th Century bateau at the southern end of Lake George will take place at 3:00 p.m. in Lake George Battlefield Park followed by a sold-out reception with Atkinson at the Holiday Inn Resort Lake George at 4:30 p.m.
Event Details:
Date: Thursday, December 12, 2025
Time: 7:00 p.m. (Doors open at 6:30 p.m.)
Location: Lake George Junior–Senior High School Auditorium
Admission: Free and open to the public. Registration is recommended but not required: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/lake-george-public-conversation-with-historian-and-author-rick-atkinson-tickets-1969853739562
For more information and updates, please visit https://lakegeorgebattlefield.org/henry-knox/ or contact the Lake George Battlefield Park Alliance at [email protected].
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WMHT Public Media broadcasts PBS, NPR, local roots and rock, and classical music programming across New York’s Capital Region. WMHT is an essential service for education, entertainment, and inspiration, producing award-winning local programming and documentaries including AHA! A House for Arts, statewide public affairs program New York NOW, WEXT Radio, Classical WMHT-FM, and Rise Radio Reading Service for the blind and print disabled. Additional information can be found at wmht.org
About the Lake George Battlefield Park Alliance: The Lake George Battlefield Park Alliance is a not-for-profit organization of volunteers who have an abiding interest in the Lake George Region’s critical role in the French and Indian War and the American Revolution. The Alliance manages the Battlefield Park’s Visitor Center and sponsors events throughout the year that educate the public about the site and its unique history. It is also working closely with the Town of Lake George and State of New York on the “Repose of the Fallen” project, which will reinter in 2026 the remains of 44 Continental Army soldiers and support personnel in the Battlefield Park. For more information, visit www.lakegeorgebattlefield.org.
Contacts:
Will Pedigo, WMHT Public Media, 518-880-3435, [email protected]
Nancy Hawley, Lake George Battlefield Park Alliance, 917-710-8453, [email protected]