Battlefield Videos

American Revolutionary War battlefields represent part of the nation’s most hallowed ground. Our important educational work includes helping teachers, students, scholars, and lifelong learners understand why those battlefields were important and will remain so forever.

Some of the Institute’s recorded programs and other videos explore the history, preservation and interpretation of Revolutionary War battlefields and related sites. These video resources are highlighted below, ranging from archaeological efforts at battle sites and the artifacts recovered to battlefield cleanup and burial practices during the Revolution and the environmental impacts of war.

The Art and Science of Siege Warfare in the American Revolution

Glenn F. Williams
July 14, 2022

Fortification and siege doctrine were a critical component of any eighteenth-century military. Drawing mainly from the Siege of Yorktown, Dr. Glenn F. Williams of the U.S. Army Center of Military History explores the intricacies and technical expertise required…

Image of Kevin J. Weddle, author of "The Compleat Victory" about the Battle of Saratoga.

The Battle of Saratoga and “the Compleat Victory”

Kevin Weddle
May 6, 2021

Following the successful expulsion of American forces from Canada in 1776, the British forces were determined to end the rebellion and devised what they believed a war-winning strategy. They were to send General John Burgoyne south to rout the…

Historian Bob Selig discusses burial of the dead on Revolutionary War battlefields.

Battlefield Burial during the Revolutionary War

Robert Selig
October 30, 2018

Although battlefield burial is seldom covered by modern historians, following almost any military engagement, corpses needed to be buried. Who was responsible for disposing of these corpses? How can we tell who buried whom? Were officers and other ranks buried…

Archaeologist Meg Watters was the lead investigator at Parker's Revenge, a Revolutionary War battle site between Lexing and Concord, Massachusetts.

Archaeology at Parker’s Revenge

Meg Watters
December 9, 2015

Parker’s Revenge, the scene of intense fighting between the retreating British and militia on April 19, 1775, is the site of recent archaeological discoveries. Because contemporary documents reveal little about this fight, an archaeological survey was needed to reveal…

Nathaniel Philbrick presents a lecture about the Battle of Bunker Hill at the Boston Athenaeum.

Bunker Hill: A City, A Siege, A Revolution

Nathaniel Philbrick
May 20, 2014

Nathaniel Philbrick brings a fresh perspective to the Battle of Bunker Hill. The real central character in this battle is Boston—where vigilantes fill the streets with a sinister and frightening violence, even as calmer patriots struggle to see their…