George Rogers Clark: Service, Hardship, and Legacy in the Early American West

Location: Carnegie Library Center

Cost: Free and open to the public

Join the Shelby County Historical Society for the second program in the With Liberty & Justice For All speaker series.  George Rogers Clark: Service, Hardship, and Legacy in the Early American West will take place on Tuesday, April 21 from 6:30 – 8 pm at the Carnegie Library Center (731 College St., Shelbyville, KY). The special guest speaker will be Brian Cushing. The SAR (Sons of the American Revolution) will present Colors before the program begins, and the Pledge of Allegiance will be recited in honor of 2026 being the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. 

Leading a Virginia State military force during the Revolutionary War, George Rogers Clark (1752 – 1818) secured a region West of the Appalachian Mountains from British control for the United States. Despite this early success, Clark’s later life was marred by financial difficulties, slanderous rumors, and an international scandal. This presentation will unpack the complicated and often nearly unbelievable details of this uniquely American story from the early days of the founding of the United States. 

Clark was a man of many talents. He is “a figure who has been neglected, maligned, and misunderstood, both during his lifetime and in historical memory,” said Cushing. “He was a remarkable soldier, but he was equally passionate about scientific research. Thomas Jefferson, another amateur scientist, was aware of this and took interest in his findings. Clark was incredibly inquisitive and driven to understand the world around him. The circumstances of his life lead him to primarily be a soldier career wise, but had that not been the case, he could have just as easily been a leading mind in natural research.” 

Cushing served as a volunteer at Historic Locust Grove, the last home of George Rogers Clark, from 1999, and later as Program Director. There, he had the opportunity over a period of years to take a deep dive into documentation related to George Rogers Clark and his complex, sometimes almost unbelievable, life. Cushing served as Executive Director of the Shelby County Historical Society from 2021-2023, at which time he became Historic District Coordinator for the City of Shelbyville. He lives in Pleasureville, KY with his wife Amy, and they are the hosts of The Victorian Barroom on YouTube. 

The SAR (Sons of the American Revolution, Gov. Isaac Shelby Chapter), DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution, Isaac Shelby Chapter), Painted Stone Settlers, Inc., and Shelby County Public Library are partnering with the Shelby County Historical Society to present this program. This program is made possible by a generous anonymous donor.