History Speaks!

Kentucky Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

History Speaks! Presentation to Focus on George Rogers Clark’s Relationship with American Indians

FRANKFORT, Ky. (July 14, 2010)— Jacob Lee, Kentucky Historical Society (KHS) research fellow, will explore the more diplomatic side of George Rogers Clark’s relationship with American Indians at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 29 at the Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History in downtown Frankfort.

Lee’s presentation, “George Rogers Clark and the Indians: Race and Violence in the First American West,” examines and explains the complexities in Clark’s frequent encounters with Indians. Clark, the leader of the Kentucky militia during the Revolutionary War, has been portrayed by some historians as an “Indian hater.” Lee concludes that these scholars fail to acknowledge that Clark did not hold the extreme racial views of many of his contemporaries. Instead, Clark made treaties with numerous tribes, expressed a deep interest in Indian culture and even befriended former military opponents.

Lee earned both his master’s and bachelor’s degrees in history at the University of Louisville. He has worked in various positions at The Filson Historical Society, and currently serves as the museum’s associate curator of special collections. Lee has published and presented on a variety of topics in Kentucky and Ohio Valley history. During 2009, he was a recipient of a Scholarly Research Fellowship at KHS. In the fall, he will enter the Ph.D. program in history at the University of California, Davis where he will study early American history.

The KHS Highlighting History series includes History Speaks!, Food for Thought and special Thursday evening programs and offers guests an opportunity to explore a wide variety of historical topics. To find out more about Highlighting History and other KHS programs, visit the Kentucky Historical Society.

CONTACT: Lauren Medley
502-564-1792, ext. 4504
Lauren.Medley@ky.gov