Our monthly newsletter, The American Revolution Institute Today, seeks to inform, inspire and build our community of advocates for understanding and appreciating the American Revolution. Each issue features news, events and commentary from the Institute, highlighting activities of our museum, library and education programs and new content on our website. Browse past issues of the newsletter below.
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April 2024
This issue highlights the recent gift of a series of objects related to Major William Perkins of Boston, MA, the Battle of the Saintes, an upcoming author’s talk featuring Shirley Green on her recent book Revolutionary Blacks: Discovering the Frank Brothers, a collection of lesson plans exploring various aspects of Lafayette’s life, an upcoming lecture featuring Nicholas Fairfax, 14th Lord Fairfax of Cameron discussing the early history of the Fairfax family in America and the new library director, Thomas Lannon.
March 2024
This issue highlights the Battle of Guilford Courthouse, the opening of our exhibition, Fete Lafayette: A French Hero’s Tour of the American Republic, traveling trunk reservations for the 2024-25 school year, Art in Bloom DC 2024, Mercy Otis Warren and Women’s History Month and an upcoming lecture by Matthew Skic about the Museum of the American Revolution’s exhibition Black Founders: The Forten Family of Philadelphia.
February 2024
This issue highlights George Washington’s birthday, the return of Art in Bloom, a gift of a portrait miniature of William Richardson Davie, an upcoming panel discussion celebrating the library’s fiftieth anniversary, a new master teacher lesson plan about French involvement in the Revolutionary War, the 2024 class of Institute fellows and a profile on the Institute’s Events Manager, Juan Mesa.
January 2024
This issue highlights the Battle of Princeton, a gift of three Washington documents, the spring historical programs calendar, our new exhibition opening in March titled Fete Lafayette: A French Hero’s Tour of the American Republic , Art in Bloom returning in March, upcoming educator workshops and information on the upcoming Saratoga battlefield tour.
December 2023
This issue highlights the Boston Tea Party at 250, the closing of Affairs of State, an upcoming author’s talk featuring historian Jack Kelly discussing his new book, a recently acquired portrait of Josiah Parker (1751-1810) done in 1799, the 2023 George Rogers Clark Lecture now available online and a holiday greeting.
November 2023
This issue highlights Dunmore’s Proclamation, the commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of our library, 2024 Master Teachers Seminar applications, Veterans Day, an upcoming lecture featuring Robert Smith discussing the politics surrounding American diplomacy during the American Revolution and a 1778 manuscript petitioning Col. Henry Jackson for a day of leave to honor “a Day of public prayer and Thanksgiving.”
October 2023
This issue highlights the publication of Freedom, the Siege of Yorktown, an upcoming author’s talk featuring Dr. Cynthia Kierner on her new book The Tory’s Wife: A Woman and Her Family in Revolutionary America, a past Master Teacher and applications for the 2024 Master Teachers Seminar, a spooky Revolutionary War Painting of Thomas François Lenormand de Victot and the 2023 Society of the Cincinnati Prize that was presented to Dr. Friederike Baer in September.
September 2023
This issue highlights Benedict Arnold’s treason, Saving Soldiers on display in Camden, South Carolina, upcoming fall historical programs, the library research fellowship program, a new portrait acquisition of an unknown man wearing an Eagle insignia, back to school resources and an upcoming author’s talk featuring Dr. Christopher Minty on his recent book Unfriendly to Liberty: Loyalist Networks and the Coming of the American Revolution in New York City.
August 2023
This issue highlights the first meeting of Washington and Lafayette, an upcoming lecture featuring Kelly Sullivan discussing the legacy of her grandfather, Albert Sullivan, and his four brothers, a review of the 2023 Master Teachers Seminar held in July, an upcoming lecture from Jeanne E. Abrams, Ph.D. on the story of John and Abigail Adams’ diplomatic journey in Europe, 18th-century back to school supplies from our collections and a tribute to Marko Zlatich.
July 2023
This issue highlights the anniversary of the French encampment in “Georges Town,” a recent museum acquisition of a portrait of a French naval officer, an upcoming lecture featuring Robert A. Selig, Ph.D. discussing the journal of Jean-Baptiste Dupleix de Cadignan, a save the date for the next Battlefield Tour in September, the visit of thirty teachers with the Bill of Rights Institute and a recap of the Dupont Kalorama Museum Consortium’s annual Walk Weekend.
June 2023
This issue highlights the birthday of the U.S. Army, the winner of the 2023 Society of the Cincinnati Prize, Dr. Friederike Baer, the return of the Dupont Kalorama Museum Consortium’s Walk Weekend, the recent museum acquisition of an 1861 copper medal commemorating George Washington, lesson content for our Revolutionary War at Sea traveling trunks and an upcoming author’s talk featuring Maj. Gen. Jason Bohm discussing his new book Washington’s Marines: The Origins of the Corps and the American Revolution, 1775-1777.
May 2023
This issue highlights the recent acquisition of a letter from the marquis de Lafayette, the Battle of Jumonville Glen, the upcoming Society of the Cincinnati Book Prize lecture featuring Col. Kevin Weddle, a commemoration of the signing of the Treaty of Aranjuez, the new Director of the Library, Joe Stoltz, the summer calendar of historical programming at Anderson House and the funeral service of fourteen Revolutionary War soldiers in Camden, South Carolina.
April 2023
This issue highlights the Franco-Spanish alliance, an upcoming battlefield tour at Yorktown, a hanger sword that witnessed the first months of the Revolution, a new lesson plan inspired by the current exhibition, an upcoming lecture featuring Dr. Max Edelson discussing the expansion and transformation of British cartography in North America, a painting by N.C. Wyeth titled Winter at Valley Forge on loan and on display at Anderson House and an introduction to the new Video Library.
March 2023
This issue highlights the Newburgh Address, Women’s History Month, an upcoming lecture by Dr. Iris de Rode discussing François-Jean Chastellux, a recently acquired orderly book, the return of Art in Bloom DC to Anderson House, traveling trunk reservations and an upcoming author’s talk by Dr. Huw Davies on his book The Wandering Army: The Campaigns that Transformed the British Way of War.
February 2023
This issue highlights the 1778 “Treaty of amity and Commerce,” the upcoming exhibition Affairs of State: 118 Years of Diplomacy and Entertaining at Anderson House, an upcoming lecture by historian Robert Geake discussing “In League with Liberty: The Persistence of Patriots of Color and the Formation of the First Rhode Island Regiment of the Continental Army,” Continental Army traveling trunk lesson content available online, a recent acquisition of a pair of silver camp cups owned by Anthony Walton White and an introduction to our class of 2023 fellows.
January 2023
This issue highlights the publication of Common Sense, Ellen Clark’s—our long time library director’s—retirement, the conservation of a pair of pastel portraits, upcoming historical programs for 2023, a new library acquisition and the Institute’s December battlefield tour in South Carolina exploring the battles of Kings Mountain and Cowpens.
December 2022
This issue highlights George Washington resigning his commission, Giving Tuesday, an upcoming lecture by archaeologist Wade P. Catts about a mass burial space discovered at Red Bank Battlefield Park, a painting of Sullivan’s Island on view in the museum and on loan from the Historic Charleston Foundation, an upcoming author’s talk by Andrew Wehrman on his book Contagion of Liberty: The Politics of Smallpox in the American Revolution, one of our master teachers and a save the date for Art in Bloom 2023.
November 2022
This issue highlights the first Committee of Correspondence, the final month of the exhibition Saving Soldiers: Medical Practice in the Revolutionary War, an upcoming author’s talk by Jordan Taylor on his book Misinformation Nation: Foreign News and the Politics of Truth in Revolutionary America, applications for the Master Teachers Seminar, an upcoming lecture from Matthew Keagle titled “The Other 1776: Reform and French Military Dress in the Late Ancien Regime” and our YouTube channel that features lectures, author’s talks, and Lunch Bites.
October 2022
This issue highlights the Edenton Tea Party, the annual Clark Lecture featuring Nick Bunker, a panel discussion titled “Women at War: Confronting Challenges in the American Revolution,” an upcoming workshop for Virginia and North Carolina teachers, a spooky print from the library collections for Halloween, new additions to the master teacher lesson plans online and volunteer docent Bill DeCosta.
September 2022
This issue highlights the Treaty of Paris, a conservation grant for the William Judd diary, the save the date for our next battlefield tour, the accomplishments of our education team over the summer, the life and statues of Nathan Hale, the upcoming 2023 library research fellowships, an upcoming author’s talk with historian Christian McBurney on his new book Dark Voyage: An American Privateer’s War on Britain’s African Slave Trade and a newly acquired rare American cartridge box.
August 2022
This issue highlights the origins of the Purple Heart, the winner of the 2022 Society of the Cincinnati Prize, the save the date for our next battlefield tour, a Masterpieces in Detail feature on a British carbine, an upcoming author’s talk with Jonathan Singerton on his new book The Habsburg Monarchy and the American Revolution, our new docents and touring Anderson House, an upcoming lecture by historian Meg Roberts on the labor of caregivers and a visit to the library from the 2022 French Scholar.
July 2022
This issue highlights the history of the Second of July, our new monthly video series titled Collections Corner, an upcoming author’s talk with Ricardo A. Herrera on his book Feeding Washington’s Army, a recent acquisition, the return of the Master Teacher Seminar, two upcoming lectures, a Masterpieces in Detail feature on the comte de Rochambeau’s handwritten memoires, our programming for two local teacher groups and the honoring of Pierre Charles L’Enfant at Arlington National Cemetery.
June 2022
This issue highlights the 250th anniversary of the Gaspee Affair, the visit to the Brandywine Battlefield in May, the upcoming Dupont Kalorama Museum Consortium’s Walk Weekend, Art in Bloom at Anderson House, a bronze plaque depicting the death of General Joseph Warren, an upcoming lecture by Ronald S. Gibbs, MD discussing medicine in the Revolutionary War, two library fellow visits and a call for museum docents.
May 2022
This issue highlights the founding of the Society of the Cincinnati, a new library acquisition, an upcoming author’s talk with Frederike Baer on her book Hessians: German Soldiers in the American Revolutionary War, the weekend excursion to Brandywine Battlefield Park, a Masterpieces in Detail feature on the Adams Bailey sword, our newest lesson plan about military medicine in conjunction with our Saving Soldiers exhibition and the Institute being named an Education for American Democracy champion.
April 2022
This issue highlights the opening of our new exhibition Saving Soldiers: Medical Practice in the Revolutionary War, an upcoming author’s talk with historian Christian DiSpigna on his book Founding Martyr: The Life and Death of Joseph Warren, The American Revolution’s Lost Hero, an upcoming weekend excursion to Brandywine Battlefield Park, an introduction to our museum’s docents, a lesson plan called Imagining the Battle of Lexington and a recap of the Institute’s inaugural Education Forum.
March 2022
This issue highlights the reopening of our museum at Anderson House in April, an upcoming author’s talk by historian Richard Middleton on Charles Cornwallis, a Society of the Cincinnati Eagle insignia that is on display at George Washington’s Mount Vernon in their new exhibition, resources for National Women’s History month, an orderly book featuring orders about celebrating St. Patrick’s day in 1780 and the Institute’s digital strategy game Revolutionary Choices which is now available at Google Play.
February 2022
This issue highlights the return of the Institute’s monthly Lunch Bite program, two upcoming author’s talks by Professor Kylie Hulbert and Professor James Mc Intyre, the portrait of Major General Thomas Pinckney which is on view at the Gibbes Museum of Art in Charleston, how to enroll as a Teaching Associate, the cleaning of museum objects by the Institute’s museum collections and operations manager, Paul Newman and an interview with one of our Master Teachers, Rob Schulte.
January 2022
This issue highlights an upcoming author’s talk by Dr. Hannah Farber about insurance and its role in the Revolutionary War, a new portrait acquisition of Churchill Jones that was donated by Mr. and Mrs. Graham G. Lacy, Jr., the addition of the Institute’s Revolutionary era newspaper collection online, the class of 2022 Institute fellows and a profile of the library’s cataloger.
December 2021
This issue highlights an upcoming author’s talk by Dr. Steven Elliott about the Continental Army’s winter encampments, the education program’s traveling trunks, a new portrait acquisition of an original member of the Society of the Cincinnati who served in the French navy, the Clark Lecture which is available online, the National Council for the Social Studies conference, where two master teachers and Director of Education Stacia Smith presented and a profile of the two newest members of the Institute staff.
November 2021
This issue highlights the road ahead for the Institute, as we prepare for our winter season of programming, an upcoming author’s talk by Professor Sandra Moats on the origins of American neutrality, a blog post on the recently acquired, mysterious print titled The Hero returned from Boston, details on the return of the Master Teachers Seminar in summer 2022 and an interview with the 2021 Tyree-Lamb Fellow, Kate Clarke.
October 2021
This issue highlights the upcoming 2021 George Rogers Clark Lecture, the recently conserved portrait of Thomas Pinckney, a letter of thanks from George Washington to David Rittenhouse written in 1783, the new set of reproduction artillery tools on display in Anderson House and the acquisition of a painting depicting George Washington and Rochambeau reviewing French troops on the march to Yorktown.
September 2021
This issue highlights a mysterious portrait of Brigadier General William Irvine, the Historiscope, an early educational toy held in the Institute’s collections, an upcoming author’s talk by Professor Katherine Carté about the influence of the Revolution on religious life on both sides of the Atlantic, a French pamphlet recently acquired by the library detailing the Battle of the Chesapeake and the education program’s traveling trunks.
August 2021
This issue highlights an author’s talk about the lives of Robert Townsend and Elizabeth, an enslaved woman in Revolutionary New York; the Institute’s conservation efforts on a portrait of an unidentified Continental officer; an upcoming lecture marking the 250th anniversary of the Regulator Rebellion; and the return of researchers to the library’s reading room.
July 2021
This issue highlights the second of July celebration concert, the new Society of the Cincinnati website launch, recent acquisition of letters written by the marquis de Lafayette, an upcoming program on French memoirs about the American Revolution and a teacher program on George Washington.
June 2021
This issue highlights the 2021 winner of the Society of the Cincinnati Prize T. Cole Jones for his book on prisoners of war in the American Revolution, the one year anniversary and recent additions to the online museum database, a new classroom lesson about George Washington’s leadership and public service and a staff profile of our director of development.
May 2021
This issue highlights an author’s talk about the Battle of Saratoga, the acquisition of a portrait of Philippe-Jacques-François Aupépin de Lamothe, an officer in the Auxerrois Regiment of the French army, the work of members Herbert M. Berg, Ph.D., and John Morgan Douglass, Jr., Ph.D to share our educational resources and mission with schools and a newly digitized manuscript depicting seventy hand-colored plates representing the regimental uniforms of the British army at the time of the American Revolution.
April 2021
This issue highlights an author’s talk about George Washington’s role in the design of the District of Columbia, conservation work to restore daguerreotypes of Revolutionary War veterans, a newly digitized manuscript detailing the horses of Elisha Sheldon’s Second Continental Dragoons, continuing education opportunities for educators, an article on Sebastian Bauman’s Plan of the Investment of York and Gloucester and an appeal to reenlist as an Associate of the American Revolution Institute.
March 2021
This issue highlights an author’s talk about the Boston Massacre, the recording of our lecture The Future of the American Revolution, an article about the Diamond Eagle of the Society of the Cincinnati, new classroom resources about the Legacies of the Revolution and a staff profile of our historical programs associate.
February 2021
This issue highlights African American patriots, professional development opportunities for educators, the recording of our author’s talk on America’s First Veterans, an article about the Diderot Encyclopédie, the latest installment of Why America is Free, a virtual video tour of Anderson House and a tribute to Dr. J. Phillip London.
January 2021
This issue highlights our 2021 library fellows, a virtual author’s talk on America’s First Veterans, sculptures of Nathan Hale in our collections and a staff profile of our museum collections manager.
December 2020
This issue highlights our 2020 Giving Tuesday project, a virtual author’s talk on America’s First Veterans, Charles Willson Peale’s 1778 mezzotint of George Washington, a historic toast celebrating Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, our online exhibition Boom! Artillery in the American Revolution, hands-on Continental Artillery education tools and new digital resources.
November 2020
This issue highlights the publications of America’s First Veterans, library documents describing the first U.S. election, our Teaching Associates program, ten great Revolutionary War paintings, Revolutionary Choices game, a rare French map of the United States, an American Revolution cultural literacy test, a staff profile of our director of marketing and communications and a new addition to our online shop.
October 2020
This issue highlights our expanding website, two Congressional presentation swords in our collection, the next George Rogers Clark Lecture, a call for 2021 research fellowship applications, an invitation to join our cause and a staff profile of our research services librarian.
September 2020
This issue highlights our work to expose the flaws of the “1619 Project” classroom curriculum, our expanding digital lesson plans for teachers, a new list of ten great Revolutionary War artifacts, a new acquisition to the library collection and a staff profile of our history and education associate.
August 2020
This issue highlights our advocacy efforts in Albany, New York, where the mayor recently issued an executive order to remove a century-old statue of Major General Philip Schuyler, one of the highest ranking officers in the Continental Army, as well as the publication of Why is America Free? in serial form on our website, how we successfully conducted our Master Teachers Seminar completely online, a recent acquisition to our manuscript collection, the conservation of two portrait miniatures, our upcoming video Lunch Bite and our latest blog post.
July 2020
This issue highlights three essays exposing the dangerous falsehoods of the “1619 Project,” a video trailer for our upcoming Second of July concert, our new online educational strategy video game Revolutionary Choices, the release of the digital version of the America’s First Veterans book, a special series of manuscripts that have been added to our digital library, taking our annual Master Teachers Seminar online, a new acquisition to the museum collections, an invitation to contribute to our cause and a new addition to our online shop.
June 2020
This issue highlights our new online museum collections database, the upcoming Second of July concert, how we’re gearing up for the 2020-2021 school year with more online lessons, the recent acquisition of a major collection of manuscripts and printed works relating to financing the American Revolution, our first video Lunch Bite and how one DC class Zoomed-In on the American Revolution.
May 2020
This issue highlights our 2020 Resources for Students and Teachers publication, the start of conservation on the oil portrait of Thomas Pinckney, the release of the digital book The Art of War in the Age of the American Revolution: 100 Treasures from the Fergusson Collection, Virginia students using our educational resources in their classroom, the addition of a First Delaware Regiment orderly book to our digital library, a new video tour of Anderson House and a tribute to one of the members of the American Revolution Institute Board of Overseers.
April 2020
The inaugural issue of The American Revolution Institute Today highlights our online resources, the recipient of the 2020 Society of the Cincinnati Prize, the acquisition of a French and Indian War journal, a blog post on George Washington’s response to epidemic disease during the Revolutionary War, this year’s class of American Revolution Institute fellows, teacher workshops focused on America’s first veterans, our traveling trunks’ journey to Hawaii and a staff profile of our tour and public program manager.