Historian, author, and television host Brady Crytzer will visit Warren on Wednesday, August 13 to discuss the Battle of Thompson’s Island. The presentation will be in the main courtroom of the Warren County Courthouse, 204 Fourth Ave. A book signing will follow.

The Warren County Historical Society will host Brady Crytzer, a historian and television personality, at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 13.

Crytzer’s presentation “Allegheny Burning: The Battle of Thompson’s Island” will be held in the Warren County Courthouse’s main courtroom, 204 Fourth Ave., Warren.

“Thompson’s Island is one of the only Revolutionary War battles in Western Pennsylvania,” Crytzer said. “In the 250th anniversary of the war, lectures like this are more important than ever.”

Though perhaps best known for his television appearances on networks such as Fox News, NBC, and C-SPAN, as well as hosting PCN’s Battlefield Pennsylvania show and his own popular YouTube channel, –Crytzer spends the rest of his time writing, researching, and teaching. He is the author of eight books and teaches history at Robert Morris University. His scholarship has earned him numerous awards such as the French and Indian War Foundation’s Judge Robert K. Woltz History Award.

The American Revolution was a time of divided loyalties, and not just for American settlers, some of whom sided with the American cause and some of whom were still devoted to Britain. Though many native peoples did not wish to be drawn into a fight between English people, neutrality was soon not an option. The powerful Iroquois Confederacy split, with two tribes allying with the Americans while the other four retained their support for England.

For Americans on the frontier in Pennsylvania and New York, life became fraught with danger as Britain’s native allies attacked their settlements. In 1779, the American Congress allocated funds for General Washington to take the war west of the Allegheny Mountains, deep into the heart of Iroquois territory.

Washington devised a three-pronged attack: two armies, led by Generals Sullivan and Clinton would march westward across New York. The third, led by Colonel Daniel Brodhead, would leave from Fort Pitt (modern-day Pittsburgh) and travel north via the Allegheny River–through present day Warren County.

Brodhead and his men marched through the area during the dog days of August, but you can learn what happened to them in the air-conditioned comfort of the Warren County Courthouse’s main courtroom. This event is free and open to the public, but visitors must use the courthouse’s Fifth Avenue entrance and go through security screening. Following the presentation, Crytzer will be available to sign books.

For more information, call 814-723-1795, visit www.warrenhistory.org, or like the Warren County Historical Society’s Facebook page.