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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 3, 2019 Norwich Historical Society Hosts Events to Acknowledge Infamous Native Son’s Birthday (Norwich, CT) - Benedict Arnold was born on January 14, 1741 in Norwich, Connecticut. Benedict Arnold’s name is synonymous with the word traitor. Despite Arnold’s defection to the British, he was a fierce patriot for the Continental Army. There are two sides to Benedict Arnold – patriot and traitor – yet often it is difficult to reconcile both aspects of his complex profile. Join the Norwich Historical Society for three events that acknowledge the birth of our infamous native son. On Wednesday January 8, 2020, at 6:00pm join us as historian and legal scholar, Brian Carso J.D., Ph.D, presents an illustrated lecture titled “The Damnation of his Fame: Benedict Arnold and the Meaning of Treason.” From the moment Arnold avoided capture by fleeing West Point, to the outbreak of the Civil War eighty years later, Americans condemned Arnold’s treachery in ways that revealed their own contemporary anxieties about loyalty and betrayal in the republic. This lecture explores how Arnold’s treason illustrated these abstract notions of political obligation as the young American nation defined itself. The event will be held at 6:00pm in Otis Library's Community Room and is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served. This event is co-sponsored by the Otis Library. On Tuesday January 14, 2020, there will be two successive events. First, join us as we acknowledge Benedict Arnold's birthday by turning off the City Hall Christmas Lights on Tuesday January 14, 2020 at 5:30pm. Afterwards, Cafe Otis and the Norwich Historical Society are sponsoring a lecture on Eastern Connecticut’s Sons of Liberty accompanied by a period inspired cocktail and appetizer. The event in front of City Hall is free and open to the public while the lecture at Cafe Otis is $15.00 to attend. Special thank you to the City of Norwich and Café Otis for their support. The Lecture at Café Otis will be held at 6:00pm on January 14, 2020 and is titled: The Norwich Sons of Liberty: Revolutionary Organizing in Eastern Connecticut. This presentation explores the lives of some of Eastern Connecticut's most prominent freedom fighters known as the Sons of Liberty. Learn how these revolutionary leaders, including Benedict Arnold, organized against Great Britain in the years leading up to the American Revolution between 1765 and 1775. Café Otis will be providing a period inspired cocktail and appetizer. The cost to attend the lecture at Café Otis is $15.00 and tickets can be purchased at: norwichhistoricalsociety.org/product/lecture-cafe-otis-norwich-sons-liberty. About the Norwich Historical Society Formed in 2001, the Norwich Historical Society seeks to preserve, protect and promote the rich history of Norwich, CT. We are a registered 501(c)(3), non-profit organization run by a part time Executive Director and a volunteer board of directors. Over the past five years, NHS created a number of initiatives designed to strengthen Norwich’s heritage tourism efforts such as opening the Norwich Heritage & Regional Visitors' Center and launching the Walk Norwich Trail system which is a series of historically themed self-guided walking tours. Media Contact: Regan Miner, Executive Director of the Norwich Historical Society Email: info@norwichhistoricalsociety.org Phone: 860-886-1776 Website: www.norwichhistoricalsociety.org