Organizers shine spotlight on big local history at Black Boys Rebellion event
FORT LOUDON >> Two hundred and fifty years ago, a small group of British citizens decided to fight back against the British empire, thus acting as a precursor to the bigger set of events a decade later that would come to be known as the Revolutionary War. Those actions in 1765 occurred in Franklin County, and yet, not many are aware of the fact that those events occurred at all, or that they took place right here. This past weekend, 75 volunteers took the time to make sure that local residents knew about the events that would be known as the Black Boys Rebellion.
The Black Boys Rebellion started when the British government decided to allow trades with Native Americans following the conclusion of the French and Indian War. Enraged white settlers who had suffered at the hands of the natives before and during the war decided to take matters into their own hands, and with James Smith as their leader, managed to prevent several wagon trains carrying weapons and supplies to reach their destination of Fort Pitt in Pittsburgh.
With this being the 250th anniversary, members of the Kittatinny Association started planning the event two years ago. According to Andrew Newman, the Black Boys Rebellion is a bit of lesser-known subject so he, Larry Gorecki and others took it upon themselves to put on an event that would educate the public on the events that took place right here.
"If we didn't, then it wouldn't happen," Newman said.
The weekend began with students from James Buchanan Middle School visiting the Fort Loudoun Historical Site area and getting a taste of what life was like in the 1700s. On Saturday, there were several programs open to the public that educated visitors about the rebellion.
Guests were able to meet Newman and Gorecki (in costume) at 10 a.m. and learn who they were, what their roles were and how they were involved. At 11:30, a re-enactment of a prisoner exchange took place in a reconstructed fort that, according to Gorecki, sits on top of the exact location of the old fort.
Another re-enactment occurred at 1 p.m. with the Skirmish at Widow Barrs being portrayed.
Two tours were available later in the afternoon, of the fort and the Black Boys' camp. The final re-enactment of the day was the Siege of For Loudoun.
The re-enactment events continue this morning at 9 a.m. until about 2 p.m., so visitors today will want to get to the fort early. The day starts with an 18th-century Anglican church service at 9:30 and then gets into the rest of the activities.
Newman, who portrayed James Smith, said that it's a "lot more effective" to help people learn about history with a re-enactment, which is why they took their time planning.
Gorecki's character was William Smith, James' cousin, which was appropriate considering how much time and effort those two had put into the event. Gorecki said that he and Newman worked "hand in hand" during "countless hours" in order to pull it off. Gorecki hopes that having a program like this will bring residents out and "spark their interest to the point where they look more into the history."
Some of the residents that were on hand to witness the Skirmish at Widow Barrs were Elvis, Amanda, Brayden, and Annalise Knox. Amanda said that their family is always looking for new things to do as a family, especially outside, so they decided to make it a family trip on Saturday to Fort Loudoun. Amanda had a particular interest in the re-enactments since her father often took part in French and Indian War re-enactments.
"I thought 'wow that would be something really cool to bring my kids to,'" Amanda said.