Lectures, Reading, and Discussion

History Lecture

St. Eustatius & The First Salute
Presented by archaeologists Dr. Ruud Stelten & Alex Hinton
Saturday, September 26, 2026
Orringer Auditorium - 2:00 p.m. - FREE

Through archaeological discoveries and newly uncovered archival evidence, Stelten and Hinton will explore the crucial role the Caribbean island of St. Eustatius played during the American Revolution. Often called the “Golden Rock,” this tiny Dutch island served as a major hub for international trade, supplying desperately needed gunpowder, arms, and other goods to the American colonies. The presentation will examine how St. Eustatius connected to North Carolina ports, including New Bern, and how maritime archaeology is helping researchers reconstruct these forgotten connections. The lecture will also share the story of the famous “First Salute” of November 16, 1776, when the Dutch governor of St. Eustatius returned a cannon salute to the American brig Andrew Doria, an act widely regarded as the first formal foreign recognition of the United States.

This project is supported by Dutch Culture USA, a program of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the United States, to mark America 250. 

North Carolina History Series
in partnership with Tryon Palace

NC History Center, Cullman Auditorium - 2:00 p.m.
Tickets: (3-Event Series Pass $25 OR Adults $10 / Students $5)

The North Carolina History lecture series continues with the goal to engage the broader community and expand the understanding of, and engagement in, the fascinating history of New Bern, Craven County and the state.  We are pleased to welcome a very diverse group of four historians for this year’s series. 

The series is presented by the Lifetime Learning Center and Tryon Palace, in partnership with the Richard Dobbs Spaight Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution and the New Bern Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution.

Schedule of Events

Sunday, February 7, 2027 

The Life and Times of Hannah Crafts 

Speaker: Dr. Gregg Hecimovich

Author of the award-winning book The Life and Times of Hannah Crafts, Dr. Gregg Hecimovich will share the fascinating story of Hannah Crafts and her remarkable novel, The Bondwoman’s Narrative — generally regarded as the earliest known novel written by an African American woman who had herself been enslaved. Hecimovich’s research identifies Crafts as Hannah Bond, an enslaved woman held by John H. Wheeler and his wife, Ellen, in Murfreesboro, North Carolina. Discover the extraordinary life behind this literary mystery. 

Sunday, February 28, 2027

Documenting the World of Outlander

Speakers: Josh Hager and Alison Thurman 

Josh Hager and Alison Thurman of the State Archives of North Carolina will explore the history behind the novels and television series Outlander by highlighting the people, places, and events that Jamie and Claire Fraser would have encountered in colonial North Carolina. 

Drawing from the State Archives’ blogpost series, Documenting the World of Outlander, they will showcase land grants, court records, military records, and other documents from the archives that bring the world of Outlander to life.

Sunday, March 14, 2027

Beyond the Recipe: Learning History from American Cookbooks

Speaker: Dr. Jamie R.C. Kirby

Dr. Jamie R.C. Kirby, Research Historian at Tryon Palace, brings a unique perspective to this topic.  A Virginia native who grew up in Salisbury, NC, Dr. Kirby has long been interested in Southern food and its place in American history. In this engaging lecture, they will look beyond the recipes to explore historic Southern cookbooks as windows into history, culture, identity, power, and place to discover what these everyday cookbooks can reveal about the America of their times.

Tickets: (3-Event Series Pass $25 OR Adults $10 / Students $5)