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 2026
Lecture—George Washington and His Command of Pen, Print, and Press
Historian George Goodwin draws from his recent book, Propaganda Wars of the American Revolution, to show how the American Revolution was not only fought on bloody battlefields, but how it was also waged with the ink of pen and print. Throughout the war, George Washington and other leaders of the Continental Army brilliantly weaponized information and propaganda through correspondence and newspapers, shaping public perception, mobilizing support, and swaying the colonies towards open rebellion. Drawing on a wealth of contemporary accounts,…
Find out more »Lecture—1776: Washington’s Grim and Glorious Year
Acclaimed historian John Rhodenhamel explores the character, ideals and moral discipline of Gen. George Washington by tracing the profound transformation of a young and ambitious officer—often driven by personal advancement—into the mature and disciplined commander who led the Continental Army through the American Revolution and ultimately relinquish power to establish the world's first modern republic. Through fresh insights drawn from Washington's writings and experiences, Rhodenhamel, with a particular emphasis on the year 1776, offers a compelling portrait of a man…
Find out more »October 2026
Author’s Talk—Freedom Around the Globe: A World History of the American Revolution
Sarah M. S. Pearsall, Ph.D., of Johns Hopkins University discusses her new book that argues that the American Founding Fathers did not have a unique claim on the revolutionary spirit. Drawing from the book, Pearsall plucks a keyword from the Declaration of Independence—security, happiness, respect—and finds its spark in a far-flung place. In an Edinburgh club where women were first invited into philosophical conversations, she explores what the pursuit of happiness meant to women and men of all sorts. She…
Find out more »November 2026
Author’s Talk—Revolutionary Snipers: Washington’s Frontier Commandos Whose Marksmanship Forged a New Way of War and Helped Win the Revolution
Award-winning independent historian and author Patrick K. O’Donnell discusses his newest book that vividly brings to life the exploits of Washington’s finest frontier commandos, whose legendary deadeye shooting offered the Continental Army an evolving and unconventional tactical advantage throughout the American Revolution. Drawing from the book, along with unpublished letters, diaries, and other participant documents, this talk illuminates the importance of these lesser-known soldiers of the Revolution and sheds light on how their fighting style emerged as a new way of…
Find out more »Lecture—Old World Meets New World: Franco-American Encounters, 1776-1783
Historian Robert Selig discusses the experiences of the French soldiers who fought for the under the Comte de Rochambeau during the American Revolution. Arriving in Newport in July 1780, Rochambeau’s soldiers stepped into a brave new world whose societal norms and modes of social interaction differed radically from their own. Rochambeau’s soldiers knew almost nothing about America and its people, and what they thought they knew were preconceptions based on ideals of the Enlightenment. Getting to know their ally proceeded…
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