The British Invasion of 1777: The Ride of Sybil Ludington™
Location: Danbury, Ridgefield, Westport
Contact Hours: 15
Cutoff Date: April 16, 2009
Cost: $145
Click here for registration form

Relive the ride of the teenage girl who succeeded during a dark and stormy night to rally the militia to assembly at the home of her father after the British burning of Danbury in 1777. Participants will retrace the steps of the invasion from the landing in Westport, to the burning of Danbury, to the ride of Sybil, to the battle at Ridgefield. The story will be told from the English and American perspectives along with the effort to uncover the truth that had been hidden among primary source documents for so long while false statements were copied from one erroneous report to another. Her story will entertain you as it informs you. Includes one book, one map, one T-shirt and curriculum materials.

Saturday (9:00-5:00) Westport and Fairfield
Westport Town Hall
9:00 Welcome and Program Overview: Peter Feinman, IHARE
9:15 The British Are Coming: British Strategy to Reconquer the Colonies: Ray Raymond, USMA and SUNY
10:30 Westport Walking Tour, Susan Gold, Westport Historical Society and Allen Raymond, Westport Municipal Historian

Westport Historical Society
11:30 The British Are Coming: A Reader’s Theater Experience, Hilary Gibson, Education Director, Westport Historical Society
12:30 Lunch
1:30 The British Invasion Bus Tour: Allen Raymond
3:00 The British Are Coming: The Fairfield Experience, Walter Matis, Educator, Fairfield Museum and History Center

Sunday (9:00-5:00)
Danbury Historical Society
9:00 The Burning of Danbury, Brigid Guertin, Danbury Historical Society
11:00 The Ride of Sybil Ludington, Vin Dacquino, author of Sybil Ludington: Call to Arms
12:00 General Tryon Danbury to Ridgefield Self Guided Drive

Ridgefield
12:30 Lunch: Dimitri’s Diner
1:30 Museum in the Streets Walking Tour, Kay Ables, Ridgefield Town Historian
2:30 The Battle of Ridgefield: George Hancock, Keeler Tavern Museum Tour
3:30 Tom Castrovinci, Re-enactor Connecticut 5th
4:00 My Brother Sam Is Dead: Teaching the British Invasion of 1777 – Brent Colley, Redding historic tours

For further information contact IHARE at 914-939-9071 or email us at: contact@ihare.org