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.
August 2024
Author’s Talk—This Fierce People: The Untold Story of America’s Revolutionary War in the South
Following the Franco-American alliance of 1778, the outstretched British forces in North America embarked on a southern campaign to muster Loyalist support and attempt to finally subdue the American rebellion. This new strategy shifted the central theater of operations to the southern states. With a divided population and challenging physical landscapes, the fighting that occurred in the South resulted in some of the fiercest battles of the war. Weaving throughout the stories of heroic men and women and the battles…
Find out more »Lecture—The Marquis de Lafayette and the American Revolution
Having learned of the American war in the summer of 1775, the marquis de Lafayette responded to the rebels’ calls for republican principles inspired by ancient Rome, the opportunity to avenge France’s defeat by the British in the Seven Years’ War and the chance to further his military career. In December 1776, the young marquis formally pledged to join the American cause. After landing in South Carolina in June 1777, he made his way to Philadelphia to present himself to…
Find out more »September 2024
Author’s Talk—Memory of ’76: The Revolution in American History
Americans agree that their nation’s origins lie in the Revolution, but they have never agreed on what the Revolution meant. For nearly 250 years, politicians, political parties, social movements, and a diverse array of ordinary Americans have constantly reimagined the Revolution to fit the times and suit their own agendas. Drawing from his new book, historian Michael D. Hattem reveals how conflicts over the meaning and legacy of the Revolution—including the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution—have influenced the most…
Find out more »Special Event—The 2024 Society of the Cincinnati Prize Presentation & Reception
The 2024 Society of the Cincinnati Prize honors Eli Merritt, M.D., M.A., for his book Disunion Among Ourselves: The Perilous Politics of the American Revolution (University of Missouri Press, 2023), which explores the politics of the Continental Congress during the American Revolution. Far from a harmonious collaboration, the Continental Congress during the Revolutionary War was so filled with political strife that the delegates feared the war would end in disunion or civil war. But instead of disbanding, these founders managed to…
Find out more »Lunch Bite—A Portrait of Andrew Wallace, the “Rescuer of Lafayette” at Brandywine
Historical Programs Manager Andrew Outten discusses a portrait of Revolutionary War veteran Andrew Wallace of the Fifth Pennsylvania Regiment, painted by John Neagle in 1831. The presentation will examine Wallace's service during the Revolution—including his claim to have aided Lafayette on the battlefield after being wounded at the Battle of Brandywine—and the significance of the portrait in the context of memorializing the Revolution. This program accompanies our current exhibition, Fete Lafayette: A French Hero's Tour of the American Republic, on…
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