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.
June 2022
Lecture – The Burning of His Majesty’s Schooner Gaspee: An Attack on Crown Rule Before the American Revolution
On June 9, 1772, a group of prominent Rhode Islanders rowed out to the British schooner Gaspee, which had run aground six miles south of Providence while on an anti-smuggling patrol. After threatening and shooting its commanding officer, the raiders looted the vessel and burned it to the waterline. Despite colony-wide sympathy for the raid, neither the government in Providence nor authorities in London could let this pass without a response. As a result, a Royal Commission of Inquiry headed…
Find out more »Art in Bloom DC
Experience the exquisite art and architecture of our headquarters, Anderson House, as never before, as floral sculptures inspired by the art and furnishings are displayed throughout the museum. Art in Bloom DC is a unique opportunity to view interpretations of specific artworks, furnishings and architectural details rendered in a floral medium. More than two dozen of Washington’s most creative and innovative floral designers have come together to showcase their unique style, vision and skill through the display of flowers, inspired…
Find out more »Lecture – Medicine in the American Revolution
Disease was a major part of everyday life in the American colonies, especially during the Revolutionary War. For every soldier dying of wounds in the war, seven died of infections including smallpox, malaria and typhus. Doctors were influenced by ancient medical thought, and with the best intentions, treated diseases with bleedings, leeches and purges. Ronald S. Gibbs, MD, of Stanford University explores the world of medical practice in the Revolutionary War by discussing the various common diseases, forms of treatments…
Find out more »Lunch Bite – Dr. James Tilton’s Society of the Cincinnati Eagle Insignia and Treatise
Join Deputy Director and Curator Emily Parsons for a discussion of Dr. James Tilton’s Society of the Cincinnati Eagle insignia, along with his 1813 treatise on military hospitals—both of which are on display in our current exhibition, Saving Soldiers: Medical Practice in the Revolutionary War, now on view through November 27, 2022. James Tilton began his long career as a military physician in January 1776 when he joined the Delaware Regiment as a surgeon. Less than a year later, he…
Find out more »July 2022
Author’s Talk – Feeding Washington’s Army: Surviving the Valley Forge Winter of 1778
In this new history of the Continental Army’s Grand Forage of 1778, award-winning military historian Ricardo A. Herrera uncovers what daily life was like for soldiers during the darkest and coldest days of the American Revolution: the Valley Forge winter. There the army launched its largest and riskiest operation—not a bloody battle against British forces but a campaign to feed itself and prevent starvation or dispersal during the long encampment. Herrera brings to light the army’s Herculean efforts to feed…
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