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.
February 2024
Lecture—The American Revolution in the Old Northwest
The American Revolution in the West is often neglected from the overall history of the conflict, though it had a significant impact on how it was conducted. Larry Nelson, assistant professor of history at Bowling Green State University, discusses this important component of the war by examining American ambitions in the Old Northwest, the vast uncharted region north and west of the Ohio River; the political goals of the Continental Congress within that region; and the role of Virginia militia…
Find out more »March 2024
Lecture—At War, At Sea: The Legacy of James Forten as a Revolutionary War Veteran
In February 2023, the Museum of the American Revolution opened the acclaimed special exhibition Black Founders: The Forten Family of Philadelphia. The exhibition introduced visitors to three generations of the family of James Forten (1766-1842), a free Black Revolutionary War veteran and sailmaker, as they battled slavery and defended freedom in the early United States. Matthew Skic, curator of exhibitions at the Museum of the American Revolution, will tell the story of the research behind Black Founders by highlighting the…
Find out more »Art in Bloom DC 2024
Art in Bloom DC returns to Anderson House for a fourth time on March 14-17! This popular event fills our historic headquarters with dozens of floral arrangements inspired by the art and architecture of Anderson House. Art in Bloom provides a unique opportunity in the nation’s capital to stroll through the museum at your own pace, viewing interpretations of specific artworks, furnishings and architectural details rendered in a floral medium by some of Washington’s most creative and innovative floral designs.…
Find out more »Lecture—The Marquis de Lafayette and his Farewell Tour
In 1824-1825, the marquis de Lafayette embarked on a tour of the United States, returning for a final time to the country he helped establish and whose democratic experiment he saw as a model for the rest of the world. Throughout his thirteen-month tour, he visited all twenty-four states of the union, where he was celebrated in each city and town with processions, banquets and receptions, worship services, and visits to important sites. Join historian Alan Hoffman, president of the…
Find out more »April 2024
Dinner and Lecture – “The Fortunes of War Have Made Me Your Prisoner”: British Blunders and the Prelude to Saratoga
This dinner and lecture at the Inn at Saratoga, in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., kicks off the Institute’s next two-day battlefield tour experience exploring a significant turning point of the American Revolution: the Battle of Saratoga. The evening begins at 5 p.m. with cocktails that will be available through a cash bar, followed by a buffet style dinner. Following the evening's meal, a lecture given by the Institute’s historical programs manager, Andrew Outten, will discuss the campaigns of 1777, political and…
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