Kentucky Ancestors, Volume 46, Number 2 - Kentucky Historical ...

Kentucky War of 1812 Bicentennial Commission Named
The Kentucky Historical Society (KHS) has been
named the administrator of the Kentucky War of
1812 Bicentennial Commission, which was recently
appointed by Governor Steve Beshear.
The eighteen-member commission, which
includes state agencies and at-large members, will
work on a broad range of educational programs that
will commemorate the role of Kentucky in the War
of 1812, which is sometimes called “America’s Second
Revolution.”
Kentucky War of 1812 Commission members
include:
• Representative Tanya Pullin (Kentucky House of
Representatives)
• Representative Steve Riggs (Kentucky House of
Representatives)
• Senator Jimmy Higdon (Kentucky State Senate)
• Senator Tom Buford (Kentucky State Senate)
• Adjutant General Edward Tonini (Kentucky
Adjutant General)
• Karl Lietzenmayer (Kentucky Education and
Workforce Development Cabinet)
• Secretary Marcheta Sparrow (Kentucky Tourism,
Arts, and Heritage Cabinet)
• Kent Whitworth (Kentucky Historical Society)
• Ruth Korzenborn (Kentucky Historical Society)
• Roger Stapleton (Kentucky Heritage Council)
• The Reverend Kilen Gray (Kentucky African-
American Heritage Commission)
• Mike Presnell (Kentucky Native American
Heritage Commission)
• Virginia Carter (Kentucky Humanities Council)
• John M. Trowbridge, of Lawrenceburg (at-large
appointee)
• Dorothy A. Ledger, of Greenup (at-large
appointee)
• Justice Bill Cunningham, of Kuttawa (at-large
appointee)
• Matthew Bailey, of Guthrie (at-large appointee)
• Nicky Hughes, of Frankfort (at-large appointee)
“We hope to make this bicentennial a statewide
commemoration,” said Stuart Sanders, who
98 | Kentucky Ancestors
administers the commission for KHS. “While the
battles were fought elsewhere, Kentuckians played a
major role in the conflict.”
Although the War of 1812 is largely forgotten
today, many Kentuckians played important military
and political roles in the conflict. Henry Clay
helped negotiate the treaty that ended the war, and
General John Adair, who later became governor of
Kentucky, led the Kentucky troops at the battle of
New Orleans. In addition, nearly sixty percent of
the total casualties in the war were Kentuckians,
and the commonwealth lost more men than all of
the other states combined. For example, dozens of
Kentuckians were slain at the battle of River Raisin,
fought in present-day Michigan, and “Remember the
Raisin!” became a rallying cry for the remainder of
the conflict.
Today, memories of the War of 1812 survive
in many Kentucky counties, with thirty of these
counties being named after prominent casualties or
officers who served in the war. The commission will
recognize these counties and will work with local
history organizations, public libraries, and museums
to educate the public about the role of Kentucky
during the entire war. To find out more about KHS
and its commissions, visit www.history.ky.gov.