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 2019
Holidays through History
Celebrate the holidays at Anderson House and two other neighborhood museums—Dumbarton House and Woodrow Wilson House—at this annual yuletide pilgrimage. Stroll through the three festively decorated mansions and learn about historical Christmas traditions. Each site will feature a cocktail inspired by their period, as well as crafts and light refreshments. Reservations suggested. Tickets cost $30 per person in advance; $35 at the door. Please note, during the program we will be a drop-off site for Dumbarton House’s coat drive to benefit…
Find out more »Concert – Holiday Vocals
Join us for music celebrating the holiday season performed by Jacqueline Neimat, an American lyric soprano. The concert will last approximately one hour. This is the final date in the fall American Music Series, which celebrates the history and variety of American music genres. About the Performer Jacqueline Neimat is active in the Washington, D.C., area. Her performance venues have included the Embassies of Italy, Austria, Finland, Lebanon and Egypt. Overseas she has performed in Vienna, Austria, Cairo and,…
Find out more »Lunch Bite – Nisbet Balfour’s Letter Book of 1781
Join Kathleen Higgins, historical programs associate, for a discussion of Nisbet Balfour's letter book recording his correspondence in early 1781. The British commander at Charleston, South Carolina, communicated with notable figures from the war, including Sir Henry Clinton, Benedict Arnold and Sir James Wright. The presentation will last approximately 30 minutes with time afterwards for up-close viewing of the letters.
Find out more »January 2020
Lunch Bite – British Military Wall Gun
Join History and Education Associate Evan Phifer for a discussion of a Revolutionary War-period British military wall gun and its unique role in eighteenth-century warfare. With an overall length of more than six feet, a weight exceeding thirty-five pounds and a .98-caliber bore that fired a lead ball up to a mile, the wall gun was intended as a fixed weapon in the defense of fortifications during siege warfare. In America, where they were imported beginning before the French and…
Find out more »Lecture – Sealed with Blood: Gratitude for Revolutionary Veterans and American National Identity
Sarah Purcell, L.F. Parker Professor of History at Grinnell College, discusses how public memories and commemorations of the Revolutionary War and its veterans helped early Americans form a common bond and create a new national identity. Officers were often remembered as national heroes in newspapers, songs, pamphlets, sermons and theater productions. Martyred heroes such as Joseph Warren and Richard Montgomery created powerful images of a nation united by grief. Common veterans also sought to claim some measure of public gratitude…
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