Supporting scholarship and promoting popular understanding of the American Revolution is central to the work of the American Revolution Institute. The Institute welcomes distinguished scholars and authors to share their insights and discuss their latest research with the public at Anderson House through lectures, author's talks and panel discussions. The Institute also hosts a variety of other historical programs throughout the year, including our Lunch Bite object talks, battlefield tours, special Anderson House tour programs and other events. Many of the events we offer are free.
September 2025
Author’s Talk—Republic and Empire: Crisis, Revolution, and America’s Early Independence
At the time of the American Revolution, the British Empire had colonies in India, Africa, the Caribbean, the Pacific, Canada, Ireland and Scotland. The thirteen rebellious American colonies accounted for half of the total number of provinces in the British world after the Seven Years’ War. As much as the Revolution was an event in the history of the United States, the conflict was an imperial event produced by the upheavals of managing a far-flung set of imperial possessions during…
Find out more »October 2025
Author’s Talk— Washington’s Lieutenants: Major Versus Brigadier Generals in the Revolutionary War
While the Continental Army’s commander-in-chief, Gen. George Washington, directed some of the army’s battles during the Revolution, his strategy for the most part was carried out—and most battles were won or lost—by his subordinates, the army’s major and brigadier generals, whose backgrounds, experience and abilities varied. Drawing from his new book, historian Douglas Branson explores some of Washington’s most colorful generals, including Hugh Mercer, Peter Muhlenberg, Nathanael Greene, Henry Knox, Robert Howe and Horatio Gates, to show the relationships and…
Find out more »Lecture —The Formation of the Continental Army
In 1775, the rebellious Americans had to form a standing army to protect their rights and defend themselves against occupying British forces. On June 14, 1775, shortly before the Battle of Bunker Hill in Boston, the Second Continental Congress passed a resolution that authorized the creation of an army that represented unity between the thirteen colonies, called the Continental Army, and appointed Gen. George Washington as its commander-in-chief. To commemorate the 250th anniversary of its inception, historian Holly Mayer, Ph.D.,…
Find out more »Virtual Lecture—Bayou Patriots? Louisiana Milita and the American Revolution
Comprised of Spanish, Creole French, Acadian, German and free Black soldiers, the efforts of the Spanish Louisiana militia during Gen. Bernardo de Galvez’s campaign against British positions on the Gulf Coast was instrumental in forcing the British military to expend manpower and resources away from the rebellious thirteen colonies. Rhett Breerwood, command historian of the Louisiana National Guard, discusses the role of Spanish Louisiana’s militia during these events, as well as its legacy as it eventually came under American authority…
Find out more »November 2025
Author’s Talk— The American Revolution and the Fate of the World
The American Revolution was a cataclysm that pulled in participants from around the globe and fundamentally transformed how the world worked, disrupting trade, restructuring penal systems, stirring famine and creating the first global refugee crisis. Drawing from his new book that repositions the Revolution at the center of an international web, historian Richard Bell, Ph.D., of the University of Maryland discusses the impact of the Revolution at home and abroad by grounding the narrative in the gripping stories of individuals…
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