North Country Live
NORTH COUNTRY LIVE RETURNS!
The college is excited to announce a series of in-person North Country Live programs
this summer!
All of these presentations will take place at our Ticonderoga campus.
Thursday, July 11, 7 pm -- "Dead Trees Will Show You the Way: Echos from the Underground Railroad" with Tom McGrathLong cloaked in mystery and folklore, the covert workings of the Underground Railroad
are starting to become clearer. Come hear the harrowing tales of fugitive slaves in
their desperate attempts to obtain freedom by fleeing northward. Special attention
will be given to the activity in the Adirondacks and the unsung heroes who aided these
people on their journey.
Thursday, July 18, 7 pm -- "The Farmer and the Sailor: The Real Story of John Brown, Richard Henry Dana and an
Adirondack Meeting" with Pete Nelson
One of the most famous Adirondack tales is adventurer Richard Henry Dana’s story of
his 1849 encounter with frontier farmer John Brown, who Dana only realized years later
to be the famous martyr of Harper’s Ferry. Dana’s account, published more than twenty
years after the meeting, is filled with drama and surprise, but at the cost of accuracy
– the actual events have significant differences. Dana and Brown were both abolitionists,
with their most important contributions to justice and civil rights ahead of them.
Come learn the real story of their encounter and the larger Adirondack context in
which these two remarkable men crossed paths.
Thursday, July 25, 7 pm -- "The Tank is Filled with Hundred-Proof: Stories of Bootlegging in the Adirondacks" with Tom McGrathIn 1920, it became illegal to make, sell, or transport alcoholic beverages. The backlash
to Prohibition quickly evolved into a world of bootlegging, speakeasies, and often
all-out war with police officials. Due to its proximity to Canada, the Adirondacks
became a hotbed of illicit activity. The presentation will highlight some of the
people, places, and stories of the region during this captivating time!
Thursday, Aug. 1, 7 pm -- "Turning Point: The Remarkable Story of the Battle of Plattsburgh" with Pete Nelson 
The War of 1812 is little remembered save for the burning of Washington DC and the
penning of the National Anthem. Few know how close the United States came to destruction
– not from the Chesapeake, but from Canada. On September 11, 1814, the largest enemy
invasion force in US history, whose battle-hardened troops outnumbered ragtag American
defenders more than three-to-one, began an attack at Plattsburgh that, if successful,
would have ended the Republic as we know it. But for the remarkable strategies employed
by two young commanders, the British would have undoubtedly won. Come hear the incredible
story of the Battle of Plattsburgh, where the planting of trees and the turning of
ships saved the nation.
The mission of North Country Live is to present programs that foster intellectual
exploration, spark conversation and enrich our communities. Hosted on Zoom by North Country Community College and its partners, North Country Live has provided more than 30 webinars, presentations and panel discussions since it
was launched at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic in the spring of 2020. Wellness,
personal finance, telecommuting, black history in the Adirondacks, recreation, environmental
issues, and the history and traditions of the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe are just a
few of the topics covered by the series so far. More than 1200 people have registered
for North Country Live programs since it was created.
You can view previous presentations by visiting the Video on Demand section of this
page or visiting the college's YouTube channel.
If you have a question about North Country Live, contact Selina LeMay-Klippel, the college’s coordinator of career and technical education programs and curriculum
development, or Chris Knight, the college's communications director.
