Derden speaks to National Congress of the Sons of the American Revolution
Last edited: July 27, 2022 by
Dr. John K. Derden, Professor Emeritus of History at East Georgia State College in Swainsboro, Georgia, was the keynote speaker at the President General’s Banquet at the annual National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution (NSSAR) National Congress. The event was held at the Hyatt Regency Riverfront Hotel in Savannah, Georgia, on July 13, 2022.
Dr. Derden’s address, “It All Started in a Bar: Revolutionary Savannah,” focused on the role and significance of the port city in the American Revolution. He emphasized that Savannah’s strategic importance to both sides during the war made the town a focal point of several campaigns and that the failed attempt by the combined French and American forces to retake Savannah in October 1779 led to what has been described as “the bloodiest hour of the American Revolution.” Dr. Derden also stressed the importance of Georgia’s role in the Revolution and pointed to the increasing emphasis by modern historians of the broader significance of the Southern campaigns in the eventual Patriot triumph at Yorktown in 1781.
Following his address, Dr. Derden then introduced “George Washington” (Dan McMichael) who described the trials of the Patriots during the Revolution as well as his 1791 visit to Savannah. The presentations were well received by the audience of over 400.
The NSSAR National Congress met this year from July 10-15. NSSAR was formed in 1889 and is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to promoting patriotism, preserving American history, and teaching American history to future generations. Membership is composed of lineal descendants of those who served in the Patriot cause during the Revolution.
Headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, NSSAR is organized at the state and local levels. The Georgia Society of the Sons of the American Revolution has 35 chapters with 2000 members
