WHEELING — This year marks the 250th anniversary of Dunmore’s War, seen by many historians as the last conflict of America’s colonial period.

But some pay it little attention or misinterpret its historical significance. Set against the backdrop of the deepening constitutional crisis that soon spun out of control, the campaign’s decisive battle was fought as delegates from 12 of the 13 colonies met at Philadelphia in the First Continental Congress. The conflict resulted from escalating violence between white settlers of Virginia, Pennsylvania and Kentucky, and the Ohio Country Shawnee. Thus, it is part of the long war for independence fought by the native peoples of the “Ohio Country.”

The war ended soon after Virginia’s victory in the Battle of Point Pleasant on Oct. 10, 1774. The result was a significant resetting of the Appalachian boundary defined by the Royal Proclamation of 1763, which ended the French and Indian War.

The Ohio County Public Library’s new People’s University program begins this week and will explore Dunmore’s War.

July 18 at 7 p.m., Class 1 — Who Was Lord Dunmore?

If you grew up in Wheeling or the Ohio River Valley, Lord Dunmore’s name is no doubt familiar. While the general impression is that he is remembered for some sort of villainy, how he earned this reputation and the true nature of his character are somewhat murky. Long dismissed as an incompetent hothead and neglected by most historians, James Corbett David’s book, “Dunmore’s New World” (University of Virginia Press, 2013), provides the basis for the first class in the series, focused on John Murray, Viscount Fincastle and fourth Earl of Dunmore. Who was this man? What personal circumstances motivated his desire for an imperial appointment in America?

Why was he appointed royal governor of the Virginia colony? What role did he play in his eponymous war? And what became of him after his departure from Virginia back to England?

Instructor James H. Frey was born and raised in Wheeling. Frey was educated in Ohio County Public Schools, and he is a graduate of Oberlin College. His career as a teacher and later as a fundraising professional took him outside of his home state. In 2010 he returned to the area for an executive position at the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh Foundation.

He retired in 2014. With a lifelong passion for local history and genealogy, Frey is involved in a number of organizations reflective of those interests, namely the Fort Henry Chapter, Sons of the American Revolution, the Friends of Wheeling, Wheeling Heritage and the newly formed Ohio County Cemeteries Foundation. He has worked as a volunteer to raise up our community’s colonial and Revolutionary legacy, hence his interest in Lord Dunmore and Dunmore’s War.

This program is being presented in memory of the late Debi Smith, Daughters of the American Revolution member and officer.

July 25 at 7 p.m., Class 2 – Lord Dunmore’s War: Last Indian Conflict of the Colonial Era

This presentation explains the causes and conduct of the last Indian War before the start of the American War for Independence. Set during what some would call the “quiet time,” many historians pay it little attention or misinterpret its historical significance. However, John Murray, fourth Earl of Dunmore, the last royal governor of Virginia, led the colony’s soldiers “in his majesty’s service” in a defensive war that culminated in a successful offensive military expedition. Although the victorious Lord Dunmore returned to Williamsburg in triumph and at the height of his popularity in December 1774, before another year ended he would be vilified by Virginians and flee his capital. At the conclusion, participants will learn that Revolution was not necessarily inevitable in 1774 Virginia. Furthermore, Dunmore’s War had a surprising beneficial effect that favored the Americans in the early years of the Revolutionary War. It will also dispel many myths about Virginia’s colonial militia before the Revolution. The information is based on research for “Lord Dunmore’s War: the Last Conflict of America’s Colonial Era” (Westholme, 2017).

Instructor Glenn F. Williams is a historian at the U.S. Army Center of Military History, Fort McNair, Washington, D.C. He has served as the historian of the National Museum of the U.S. Army Project, the Army Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Commemoration, and the National Park Service’s American Battlefield Protection Program. He is the author of a number of books and articles, including the award-winning Year of the Hangman: George Washington’s Campaign against the Iroquois. He holds a PhD in history from the University of Maryland.

Aug. 1 at 7 p.m., Class 3 — The People Between: Dunmore’s War and the Indigenous Struggle for Independence

Lord Dunmore’s War is considered the last of the colonial wars and one of the most significant conflicts in western Virginia. This presentation examines the causes and consequences of the conflict while placing it in the context of the 60-year war for independence fought by the native peoples of the “Ohio Country.”

Instructor Travis Henline earned his master’s degree in history from West Virginia University. He has spent a career in public history and museums, working for the National Park Service, the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, and the West Virginia Division of Culture and History. He currently serves as the Curator of Indigenous History and Culture for the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation in Williamsburg, Va.

In keeping with the mission of public libraries as sanctuaries of free learning for all people, the Ohio County Public Library created The People’s University, a free program for adults who wish to continue their education in the liberal arts.

The People’s University features courses — taught by experts in each subject — that enable patrons to pursue their goal of lifelong learning in classic subjects such as history, philosophy and literature.

All programs are free and open to the public. Patrons may attend as many classes as they wish. There are no tests or other requirements.

For more info about the People’s University series on Dunmore’s War, email the library at lunchwithbooks@yahoo.com or call 304-232-0244.