Sotterley Presents: People and Perspectives
with Don Shomette
Lost Towns of Tidewater Maryland
Wednesday, October 16, 2024 at 7:00 p.m.
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This event is FREE and hybrid, meaning you can join us in-person or virtually.
Registration is required.
This event is FREE but registrationis required. All registrants are welcome to join us for a pre-reception at 6:15 pm for light refreshements before the event starts.
The DONATION button in the ticket section is for DONATIONS ONLY and does not register you for a seat.
Towns and ports usually develop because of the practical aspects of the location and purpose, but in colonial Maryland, over the course of nearly a century, between 1658 and 1751 the governing powers sought to accelerate the process. During the course of the colony’s nearly and tumultuous history, the Lord Proprietor and later the General Assembly attempted to establish a total of 130 towns or ports simply by designating them, without regard to desirability, need, or logic. A few thrived, but most vanished as a result of natural and economic factors in the tobacco culture of the era or from the fires of war and political chicanery. Historian and archaeologist Donald Shomette will present an engrossing overview of the life in the colony and an insightful perspective of the events that forever doomed the first efforts at urban development in Tidewater Maryland.
Donald Grady Shomette, an accomplished historian, marine archaeologist, and author, boasts a diverse career spanning graphic design, journalism, and academia. With an honorary Ph.D. from the University of Baltimore, Shomette's expertise has been recognized internationally through his extensive work with institutions like the Library of Congress, National Geographic Society, and the National Park Service. He has authored twenty books and contributed to numerous encyclopedias and anthologies, while also making appearances in documentaries and serving as a lecturer for prestigious programs like the Smithsonian Journeys Program. Shomette's contributions have been celebrated with awards such as the John Lyman Book Award and the Marion V. Brewington Award, alongside the Calvert Prize for historic preservation, reflecting his significant impact in the fields of maritime and naval history. Based in Calvert County, Maryland, Shomette continues to leave an indelible mark on historical scholarship and preservation efforts. His next book, Siege: The Canadian Campaign in the American Revolution, 1775-1776, is anticipated sometime this upcoming winter or spring.
This event is FREE and hybrid, meaning you can join us in-person or virtually. Registration is required, registration links are above.
The DONATION button in the ticket section is for DONATIONS ONLY and does not register you for a seat.
