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 2024
Concert—Music from the Life and Tour of Lafayette
During the marquis de Lafayette’s 1824-1825 farewell tour, he was celebrated in each city and town with processions, banquets, receptions, worship services and visits to important sites—many of which included music written for the occasion. To commemorate the bicentennial of Lafayette’s return to the United States, this special concert features David and Ginger Hildebrand of the Colonial Music Institute performing and discussing various musical pieces created during Lafayette's life and especially his farewell tour of America—including some that are part…
Find out more »Lunch Bite—An 1830s Model of HMS Roebuck
Museum Collections and Operations Manager Paul Newman discusses an 1830s model of HMS Roebuck, a forty-four-gun British frigate that saw extensive service during the American Revolutionary War. Launched in 1774, the Roebuck found itself performing blockade duty on the Delaware River as early as 1775. The Roebuck later patrolled off Long Island and took part in the attacks on Forts Mercer and Mifflin and the siege of Charleston, South Carolina, before it returned to Great Britain in 1781. This presentation…
Find out more »July 2024
Lecture—“A Perilous Voyage for our Company”: The Misadventures of James Selkirk on the Chesapeake Bay
Historian and documentary editor Robb Haberman examines the perilous voyage of Sgt. James Selkirk and the Second New York Regiment on their way to Yorktown in September 1781, when their transport schooner was separated and ran aground while sailing from Baltimore to Williamsburg. Using Selkirk’s unpublished papers, this talk examines his harrowing experience and the endurance of the Continental forces during the Yorktown campaign. Registration is requested. To attend the lecture in-person at Anderson House, or to watch virtually, please…
Find out more »Lecture—Lord Dunmore’s War
Known to history as Dunmore’s War, the 1774 campaign against a Shawnee-led Indian confederacy in the Ohio country marked the final time an American colonial militia took to the field in His Majesty’s service and under royal command. Led by John Murray, the fourth Earl of Dunmore and royal governor of Virginia, a force of colonials including George Rogers Clark, Daniel Morgan, Michael Cresap, Adam Stephen and Andrew Lewis successfully enforced the western border established by treaties in parts of…
Find out more »August 2024
Panel Discussion—Waging War in America: Operational Challenges of Armies During the American Revolution
Historian Don Hagist moderates a panel of contributors to the recent anthology Waging War in America 1775-1783, exploring the significant operational challenges faced by American, Loyalist, French and German forces during the Revolution. From recruitment and training to tactics and logistics, the panelists also examine how the various armies adapted to the specific circumstances of this war. Panelists for this discussion include historians Todd Braisted, Alexander Burns, John Rees and Robert Selig. Registration is requested. To attend the panel discussion…
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