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.
December 2024
Author’s Talk—Declarations of Independence: Indigenous Resilience, Colonial Rivalries, and the Cost of Revolution
On July 4, 1776, two hundred miles northwest of Philadelphia, on Indigenous land along the west branch of the Susquehanna River, a group of colonial squatters declared their independence. They were not alone in their efforts. This bold symbolic gesture was just a small part of a much broader and longer struggle in the Northern Susquehanna River Valley, where diverse peoples, especially Indigenous nations, fought tenaciously to safeguard their lands, sovereignty and survival. Drawing from his new book, Christopher Pearl,…
Find out more »Lunch Bite—A Portrait Miniature of the Marquis de Lafayette Painted During the Farewell Tour
The marquis de Lafayette’s farewell tour of the United States produced a staggering number of images of the general, from original oil portraits commissioned by government entities and wealthy individuals to prints mass produced for sale at public events. One of the lesser-known original works of art created during the tour is a watercolor portrait miniature of Lafayette painted by Charles Fraser during the general’s visit to Charleston, South Carolina, in March 1825. In the portrait Lafayette wears a distinctive…
Find out more »Virtual Lecture—Transatlantic Abolitionism in the Age of Revolution
Throughout his life, the marquis de Lafayette fought vehemently for personal freedoms. He advocated for women’s rights in America and civil rights for Protestants in France, and promoted respect for the identity and sovereignty of American Indians. His most extensive efforts in support of human liberty were his work to end slavery and the African slave trade. While Lafayette respectfully nudged his slave-owning friends to embrace emancipation, he became increasingly disturbed by the contradiction of the American republic, a beacon…
Find out more »Lecture—Unlikely Soldiers: The Bakers of Washington’s Army, 1778-1781
In May 1777, Congress commissioned Christopher Ludwick, a Philadelphia gingerbread baker, as the superintendent of bakers in the Continental Army. Upon receiving his commission, Ludwick quickly developed a baking department—the first of its kind in America—to feed Gen. George Washington’s army as they fought and retreated throughout the Mid-Atlantic. Under Ludwick’s supervision, a series of ovens were built in different locations throughout the Mid-Atlantic to satisfy the needs of provisioning the army. Justin Cherry, resident baker at George Washington’s Mount…
Find out more »January 2025
Virtual Seminar—“The American Cause…is the Cause of Liberty”
Join the American Revolution Institute and the Georgetown County SC250 Commission for a special virtual seminar discussing various topics highlighting the marquis de Lafayette and the American Revolution in South Carolina. This virtual seminar features the Institute’s director of education, Stacia Smith, discussing Lafayette’s farewell tour in 1824 and 1825, as celebrated by the Institute’s exhibition, Fete Lafayette: A French Hero’s Tour of the American Republic; the Institute’s research services librarian, Rachel Nellis, highlighting the surprising and exciting stories of…
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