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.
April 2025
Lecture—The Realities of Infantry in Battle During the American Revolution
Historian Alex Burns, Ph.D., assistant professor of history at Franciscan University of Steubenville, places the common enlisted man during the American Revolution at center stage by discussing their experiences during the war. Drawing from his archival research on the American, British and Prussian armies, Dr. Burns shows how the infantryman throughout the eighteenth century played an important role by asserting tactical reforms from below and places the tactical experiences of the Continental Army in a European context. Registration is requested.…
Find out more »Panel Discussion—The Battles of Lexington and Concord
To kick off our eight-year-long 250th anniversary celebrations of the American Revolution, join us for a panel discussion highlighting the Battles of Lexington and Concord. Panelists will discuss the prelude of the two events of April 19, 1775, the engagements through the perspectives of the battles’ participants and civilian eyewitnesses; and recent archaeological studies and findings and how they have impacted or enhanced the interpretation of the battles. Registration is requested. To attend the panel discussion in-person at Anderson House,…
Find out more »June 2025
Lecture—The British Army in 1775
Historian Don Hagist, editor of the Journal of the American Revolution, discusses the state of the British Army in North America before and after the opening shots of the Revolution on April 19, 1775. Drawing from his research, Hagist will also discuss the experiences of the British Army during the initial battles of the war; the tactical, strategic, and logistical challenges it encountered; and how its leaders attempted to overcome and adapt to these challenges. Registration is requested. To attend…
Find out more »Lecture—The Whites of Their Eyes: Bunker Hill, the First American Army, and the Emergence of George Washington
Paul Lockhart, professor of history at Wright State University, highlights the Battle of Bunker Hill on the 250th anniversary of the engagement. Offering a reassessment of the first major battle of the war, Dr. Lockhart illuminates it as a crucial event in the creation of American identity while interweaving it with two other momentous narratives: the creation of America’s first army and the rise of George Washington. This program accompanies our current exhibition, Revolutionary Beginnings: War and Remembrance in the…
Find out more »Author’s Talk—The Fate of the Day: The War for America, Fort Ticonderoga to Charleston, 1777-1780
The first twenty-one months of the American Revolution—which began at Lexington and ended at Princeton—was the story of a ragged group of militiamen and soldiers fighting to forge a new nation. By the winter of 1777, the exhausted Continental Army could claim only that it had barely escaped annihilation by the world’s most formidable fighting force. Two years into the war, George III was determined to bring his rebellious colonies to heel, though his task was far too complicated. Not…
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