Bidwell House History Talk: The Battle of Louisbourg
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MONTEREY, Mass. — Join the Bidwell House Museum on Aug. 23 for their last history talk of the 2025 season with Dr. Amy Watson, from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
The talk is free for members. Non-members pay $15. Only one registration is required per household. Lecture will be held via Zoom. 11 a.m.
According to a press release:
In 1745, New England colonists launched a successful expedition to conquer Louisbourg, a port in present-day Nova Scotia, which was then controlled by the French Empire. The original owner of the Bidwell House, Reverend Adonijah Bidwell, was witness to this battle as the Chaplain of the fleet. In this talk, Dr. Amy Watson will explain why New Englanders launched this invasion of a frigid Canadian port, why they were forced to return it, and what the Siege of Louisbourg can tell us about both British party politics and the origins of the American Revolution.
Amy Watson is an Assistant Professor of History at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Her first book Patriots Before Revolution: The Rise of Party Politics in the British Atlantic, 1714-1763 examines the British political origins of the Patriot party that inspired the American Revolution. The book was published by the Yale University Press in June 2025.
This lecture will be held via Zoom. Registration via the Museum event page is required, https://www.
Details for how to access the event will be sent via email 1-2 days in advance.
The Bidwell House Museum is open for guided tours from Memorial Day to October. Tours are by appointment only on Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 11 a.m., 1p.m. or 3 p.m. Tours can be booked by calling 413-528-6888 or emailing bidwellhm2@gmail.com. The Museum grounds—194 acres of woods, fields, historic stonewalls, self-guided trails and picnic sites—are open every day, dawn until dusk, free of charge. The program of events can be found on the museum's website: www.bidwellhousemuseum.org.
