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American Revolution Institute

Name: American Revolution Institute
Address: 2118 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington D.C., DC, 20008, US
Telephone: (202) 785-2040
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Promoting knowledge and appreciation of the achievement of American independence with library, museu

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03/16/2023

Now on display in the museum, “Winter at Valley Forge” by N.C. Wyeth. Painted from 1934-1936 and commissioned by the Home Insurance Company of New York, the painting depicts a group of soldiers gathered around a campfire in open song during the Continental Army’s 1777-1778 winter encampment at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania (Valley Forge National Historical Park). A blanket-wrapped Gen. George Washington stands to the left of the group, appearing engrossed in thought – the weight of the American cause on his shoulders.

Newell Convers Wyeth (1882-1945) (more commonly known as N.C. Wyeth) is most renowned today for his colorful illustration work, especially that which graced books such as Treasure Island, White Company, and The Last of the Mohicans.

“Winter at Valley Forge” is kindly on loan from the collection of Ambassador Trevor Dow Traina, Society of the Cincinnati in the State of New Hampshire.

03/15/2023

, March 15, 1781, the Battle of Guilford Courthouse occurred in North Carolina during the southern campaign of the Revolutionary War. After losing a significant portion of his army at the Battle of Cowpens, British general Charles Cornwallis continued his pursuit of Gen. Nathanael Greene’s army in North Carolina. Having successfully evaded Cornwallis by crossing the Dan River, Greene’s forces rendezvoused with other elements of the southern Continental Army and encamped at Guilford Courthouse in modern day Greensboro, N.C. As the state of Cornwallis’ army was becoming progressively worse, he sought a decisive battle where he could attempt to land a knockout blow to Greene’s army. He soon learned of Greene’s location at Guilford Courthouse and tried to capitalize on the opportunity to accomplish that goal.

The initial fighting commenced in the early morning hours when the two armies’ advanced guards clashed. Anticipating an attack, Greene deployed his forces into three lines— a similar strategy used by Daniel Morgan at Cowpens. The first lines were made up of militia and riflemen to harass Cornwallis’ advance that were supported by artillery, with a third line of hardened Continental regulars in the rear. At 1:30 p.m., Cornwallis launched his main attack. After strong resistance from Greene’s first two lines, which inflicted heavy casualties, the British eventually penetrated to Greene’s line of regulars. The fierce fighting continued, which resulted in a highly contested order from Cornwallis to fire grapeshot into the fray of British and American soldiers that helped to clear the battlefield. Recognizing his predicament, Greene withdrew his forces from the field.

Although Cornwallis secured a victory, it came at a high cost. Having lost nearly a quarter of his men, his forces were in an even more desperate state than they were prior to the battle. The Battle of Guilford Courthouse was instrumental in forcing Cornwallis’ decision to march his army into Virginia for refitting, where he would ultimately surrender the following October.

Image: “The Battle of Guilford Courthouse,” painted by Frederick Coffay Yohn, 1898. Beverly Historical Society. Beverly, MA.

03/14/2023

Next Tuesday, March 21 at 6:30 p.m. ET! Join us for an author’s talk featuring historian Huw Davies, deputy department head of defense studies at Kings College London and a 2019 fellow in our library, discussing his recent book, The Wandering Army: The Campaigns that Transformed the British Way of War, published by Yale University Press.

In 1774, Gen. Henry Clinton embarked on a “martial grand tour,” visiting the battlefields of Europe with his friend, the military theorist Henry Lloyd. What the two observed on their travels would change the British approach to the war that broke out in North America the following year. From his practical and theoretical study of military history Clinton had concluded that battles should only be fought when decisive political objectives could be achieved, but he instead realized that armies should be used to maneuver their adversaries into positions of disadvantage. For his beliefs, Clinton found himself in direct conflict with his superiors during the early stages of the American Revolutionary War, but when he assumed command in 1778, he found himself bereft of the resources needed to execute such complex campaigns of maneuver. The resulting strategic defeats and the loss of the American colonies appeared to prove Clinton’s approach wrong, but in the years following the Revolutionary War, the British learned much from their experiences which caused gradual and distinct changes in the British way of war. Drawn from his research using archival sources housed in the Society of the Cincinnati’s library collections, historian Huw Davies challenges the existing consensus that the eighteenth-century British army was an amateur and unprofessional organization while demonstrating that its officers and soldiers took the profession of arms seriously.

This author’s talk will be held in-person at Anderson House and last approximately 45 minutes. Registration is requested. Virtual options are available.

Learn more and register at: https://www.americanrevolutioninstitute.org/event/authors-talk-the-wandering-army/

03/12/2023

, March 12, 1773, Virginia’s House of Burgesses, alarmed by the Crown’s response to the Gaspee affair, declared: “Whereas, the minds of his Majesty's faithful subjects in this colony have been much disturbed by various rumours and reports of proceedings tending to deprive them of their ancient, legal, and constitutional rights. And whereas, the affairs of this colony are frequently connected with those . . . of the neighbouring colonies, which renders a communication of sentiments necessary . . . Be it resolved, that a standing committee of correspondence and inquiry be appointed.” With this gesture, the inter-colonial system of committees of correspondence—which would eventually lead to the convening of the First Continental Congress in Philadelphia in September 1774—originated. Two hundred fifty years later—once again in Williamsburg—more than three hundred state and local delegates (including members of our Institute staff), hailing from thirty-four states and fifty-one localities across Virginia, have assembled for a weekend of shared learning, collaboration, and partnership coordinated by Virginia American Revolution 250 Commemoration - VA250 as we come together as part of “A Common Cause To All” to look toward 2025 and beyond.

Images:
i - At the podium, Carly Fiorina, Chair of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation (Colonial Williamsburg)
ii - 60 Minutes' Bill Whitaker speaking
iii - “Fireworks bring to a close a wonderful evening”
iv - The procession to the States Dinner at the Governor's Palace
v - In action, the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation's Fife & Drums

03/11/2023

We are pleased to highlight two special items now on loan to our museum, the Purple Heart medals posthumously awarded to Albert L. and Joseph E. Sullivan, United States Naval Reserve (U.S. Navy). They’re now on display in our exhibition Affairs of State: 118 Years of Diplomacy and Entertaining at Anderson House through December 31, 2023.

Albert and Joseph, along with brothers Francis, George, and Madison, all perished when their ship, USS Juneau, sank as the result of an enemy submarine attack on November 13, 1942, as part of the Guadalcanal campaign.

On January 24, 1944, at Anderson House, then being utilized by several departments of the U.S. Navy, the parents of the Sullivan brothers, Alleta and Thomas, received the five Purple Hearts posthumously awarded to their sons. Today, only two of the five Sullivan Purple Hearts are known to exist and were brought to our attention by the Grout Museum District which maintains the Sullivan Brothers Iowa Veterans Museum in Waterloo, Iowa. Kelly Sullivan, granddaughter of Albert Sullivan, has graciously loaned the two medals, along with a Navy Mother’s Club of America sash and pin owned by Alleta Sullivan as a symbol of our important ties to the U.S. Navy. The Society of the Cincinnati lent Anderson House during the war as a patriotic gesture at a time of critical office shortage.

For more about our latest exhibition, click here: https://www.americanrevolutioninstitute.org/exhibition/affairs-of-state-diplomacy-and-entertaining-at-anderson-house/

Images:
i - The obverse of the Purple Heart medal awarded posthumously to Albert L. Sullivan
ii - The reverse of the Purple Heart medals awarded posthumously to Albert L. and Joseph E. Sullivan
iii - Kelly Sullivan, granddaughter of Albert L. Sullivan, joined by Nicholas Erickson, Registrar with the Grout Museum District. Nicholas kindly couriered the two Purple Hearts to Washington, D.C., from Waterloo, Iowa
iv - Kelly Sullivan and Captain (Ret.) Gerard D. Roncolato, who was the first commanding officer of the USS The Sullivans, a destroyer named after the five Sullivan brothers and sponsored by Kelly

03/10/2023

Celebrate the arrival of spring with the return of Art in Bloom DC to Anderson House—the exclusive venue in the nation’s capital for this prestigious exhibition. On March 27-30, floral arrangements inspired by the art and architecture of our historic headquarters will fill the museum. In addition to more than 30 individual floral designers, this year’s exhibition also includes representatives of the Washington National Cathedral Flower Guild and the Daughters of the American Revolution—all showcasing their floral prowess. Their inspiration includes seventeenth-century Flemish tapestries, Buddhist sculpture, an Italian alabaster fireplace, and an eighteenth-century American cannon used during the Revolutionary War.

This year Art in Bloom DC also includes a festive evening reception with the floral designers on Monday, March 27 and four special floral demonstrations on March 28-30.

Find out more at: https://www.americanrevolutioninstitute.org/event/art-in-bloom-dc-2023/

03/08/2023

Happy International Women’s Day! The first IWD gathering happened in 1911 in Virginia, celebrating the remarkable social, economic, cultural, and political contributions of women over the course of history, and marveling at the opportunity to make an even greater impact in the twentieth century and beyond. Less than a decade later, Isabel Anderson—our headquarters’ namesake, and a notable philanthropist, author, and public servant—spearheaded the creation of the Red Cross Refreshment Corps in Washington, D.C. During World War I, she marshalled a legion of volunteers gathered in the Anderson House garden to wrap bandages and assemble provisions to be served from a first-of-its kind emergency canteen with a mobile kitchen that could serve a high volume of service members at army camps and train stations at all hours of the day and night. When the Red Cross called for volunteers to serve overseas in 1917, Isabel went, recalling later that “Since few women in our corps were free to go, many of them being officers’ wives, I decided to offer my services.” In her memoir, Zigzagging, she wrote: “After all, hasn’t a woman just as much right to die for her country as a man?” For her dedication and skill caring for the sick and wounded on the war front in Europe, she was awarded the American Red Cross Service Medal, the French Croix de Guerre with bronze star, and the Medal of Elisabeth of Belgium. Learn more about Isabel Anderson’s service and achievements with a visit to our new exhibition at Anderson House, Affairs of State, running through December 31, 2023.

For additional information about Affairs of State, visit:
https://www.americanrevolutioninstitute.org/exhibition/affairs-of-state-diplomacy-and-entertaining-at-anderson-house/

03/07/2023

Next Tuesday, March 14 at 6:30 p.m. EST! Join us for an author’s talk featuring historian George Kotlik discussing his recent book, East Florida in the Revolutionary Era, 1765-1785, published by the University of Georgia Press.

In 1763 Great Britain organized the colony of East Florida, which formed the entirety of what is now the state of Florida east of the Apalachicola River. Today, the history of East Florida is seldom studied, relegated to the outskirts of literature on the colonial and revolutionary era. Yet, the Revolution in East Florida included a violent border war that erupted between East Florida and the state of Georgia in 1775, two noteworthy battles fought on East Florida soil, and three American invasions that failed to bring East Florida into the rebellion. In his new book, historian George Kotlik provides the first comprehensive and detailed history of British East Florida by exploring the colony’s early development and often neglected connection to the Revolutionary War.

The talk will be held in-person at Anderson and last approximately 45 minutes. Registration is requested. Virtual options are available.

Learn more and register at: https://www.americanrevolutioninstitute.org/event/authors-talk-east-florida-in-the-revolutionary-era/

03/06/2023

Introducing our new Video Library on our website! Now you can find all our videos in one place, from recorded lectures and videos designed for the classroom to collections features and exhibition tours. With videos ranging from just a few minutes to over an hour, there’s something for everyone who’s interested in the history of the American Revolution.

Start exploring at: https://www.americanrevolutioninstitute.org/video-library/

03/03/2023

Next Friday, March 10 at 12:30 p.m. EST! Join us for a Lunch Bite object talk featuring the Institute’s museum collections and operations manager, Paul Newman, discussing the diplomatic uniform of Larz Anderson.

At the beginning of the twentieth century, U.S. diplomats were prescribed to wear civilian suits, however as it was normal for diplomats to be presented before foreign dignitaries and their courts, many had decorative uniforms made for themselves. As such, Larz Anderson commissioned Davies & Son of London, England, to produce a uniform for his appointment as the U.S. minister to Belgium in 1911. This Lunch Bite will focus on Larz Anderson’s diplomatic uniform from our museum collections and currently featured in our new exhibition, Affairs of State: 118 Years of Diplomacy and Entertaining at Anderson House, while exploring his motivation in purchasing such an ensemble and how it was used.

This presentation will be held in our research library and last approximately 30 minutes. Registration is requested. Virtual options are available.

Learn more and register at: https://bit.ly/3kJSUDb

03/02/2023

Meet C.C. Borzilleri, a Ph.D. candidate at The George Washington University and our 2023 Leland Madison Park Library Fellow. C.C. recently spent a week in the library to support research on the emergence, experiences, and impact of women printers in early America.

C.C. described her research and how she became interested in the subject, as well as shared an item in the library collection that helped her get to know one particular printer.

“I’m studying women printers of early America. I landed on this time period as an extension of my undergraduate thesis research on Litchfield, Connecticut, in the early American republic, and the topic grew out of my interest in the flow of information, representations of reality, and creations of communities through print.

This week I felt like I really got to know Hannah Watson, a printer in Hartford, Connecticut, in the late 1770s. The collection has a fantastic handwritten document from the state of Connecticut tallying up the amount of money they owed Mrs. Watson for printing work completed in the fall of 1777. Seeing the itemized list of charges gave such a great window into the workload of printers, in terms of both the physical labor required to transfer ink to individual sheets of paper and the content that passed through their presses and into the greater community.”

02/27/2023

One month from today, the floral delights of Art in Bloom return to Anderson House. Now in its third year, 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.

Art in Bloom public viewing will run from Monday, March 27 – Thursday, March 30, and admission is free!

For more information about Art in Bloom, including details regarding the March 27 special reception, click here: https://www.americanrevolutioninstitute.org/event/art-in-bloom-dc-2023/

02/25/2023

Next Thursday, March 2 at 6:30 p.m. EST! Join us for a lecture featuring Iris De Rode, Ph.D., discussing François-Jean de Chastellux and American Independence.

François-Jean Chastellux, a major general in the French army, member of the Society of the Cincinnati, and cousin of the marquis de Lafayette, played a central role in the Franco-American alliance during the Revolutionary War. Recently, a collection of more than four thousand pages of Chastellux’s private papers were discovered at his estate in Burgundy, France, by historian Dr. Iris De Rode. Drawing from her discovery and other primary sources—including the first edition of his travel diary, a first edition book on the advantages of the discovery of America for Europe, a “Military order” (“George Washington, extrait de l’ordre du 20 octobre 1781”), a letter by the hand of Chastellux to “a member of a learned society,” and a letter written by George Washington to Chastellux housed in the Society of the Cincinnati’s library collections—Dr. De Rode discusses Chastellux’s important involvement during and after the Revolution through his military, intellectual, scientific, commercial, and political exchanges.

This lecture will be held in-person at Anderson House and last approximately 45 minutes. Registration is requested. Virtual options are available.

Learn more and register here: https://www.americanrevolutioninstitute.org/event/lecture-francois-jean-de-chastellux/

Image: François-Jean Chastellux painted by Charles Wilson Peale, circa 1782. Independence National Historical Park, Philadelphia, Pa.

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2118 Massachusetts Avenue NW
Washington D.C., DC
20008

Opening Hours

Tuesday	10am - 4pm
Wednesday	10am - 4pm
Thursday	10am - 4pm
Friday	10am - 4pm
Saturday	10am - 4pm
Sunday	12pm - 4pm

Telephone

(202) 785-2040

Website

https://www.americanrevolutioninstitute.org/

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Videos

A 1770 Edition of John Milton's Paradise Lost

#OTD, October 17, 1777, British general John Burgoyne surrendered his army to American forces under Gen. Horatio Gates. To mark the 245th anniversary of that pivotal moment in the Revolutionary War, our latest edition of Collections Corner features Library Director Ellen McCallister Clark discussing an unexpected treasure from our library collections, a 1770 edition of John Milton’s Paradise Lost which bears inscriptions by a British officer and an American officer whose paths crossed in the aftermath of the Saratoga campaign. #amrevinstitute #revwar #amrev #OTD #CollectionsCorner #video #librarycollections #library #historicbooks #rarebooks

#OnThisDay in 1780 Benedict Arnold fled West Point and defected to the British as news of his betrayal spread. Our newest Collections Corner video features Research Services Librarian Rachel Nellis sharing an orderly book kept by Lt. William Popham in the late summer and early fall of 1780. This orderly book features the shocking announcement about Benedict Arnold. View the orderly book on our Digital Library at: https://cdm16923.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p16923coll6/id/4013. #BenedictArnold #AmRevInstitute #AmRev #RevWar #WestPoint #CollectionsCorner #AmericanRevolution

Welcome back to Collections Corner! This month’s edition features Stacia Smith, the Institute’s director of education, discussing “The Historiscope” from our Robert Charles Lawrence Fergusson Collection, just in time for teachers and students as they head back to the classroom for the upcoming school year. This nineteenth-century educational toy was manufactured by Milton Bradley & Co., of Springfield, Mass., to teach children about important events in early American history. View “The Siege of Charleston,” a lesson from one of our master teachers that prompts students to tell the story of the Revolutionary War with a historiscope of their own design here: https://www.americanrevolutioninstitute.org/master-teacher-lesson-plans/the-revolutionary-war/siege-of-charleston-1780/ #amrevinstitute #amrev #revwar#ushistory #education #historyintheclassroom #teachingaid #educationalresource #becausehistorymatters #collectionscorner

Collections Corner - A Spanish Model 1757 Flintlock Musket

Welcome back to Collections Corner! In June 1779, Spain formally declared war on Great Britain and created a de facto alliance with the Americans that expanded the global nature of the Revolution. To commemorate this important stage of the Revolution, this month’s segment of Collections Corner features the Institute’s historical programs manager, Andrew Outten, discussing a Spanish Model 1757 flintlock musket, a type of Spanish musket that was supplied to American infantry during the Revolution. Learn more about this Spanish musket and other Revolutionary War armaments from our museum collections: https://www.americanrevolutioninstitute.org/discover-the-collections/armaments/ #AmRevInstitute #AmRev #Revwar #CollectionsCorner

Collections Corner - The Institution of the Society of the Cincinnati

On May 13, 1783, a group of Continental Army officers gathered at Gen. Steuben’s headquarters near Newburgh, New York to finalize and adopt the document, known as the Institution, that formally established the Society of the Cincinnati. To celebrate the 239th anniversary of the founding of the Society of the Cincinnati, our next segment of Collections Corner features Library Director Ellen McCallister Clark discussing the Institution and why it is one of the most important and iconic treasures of the Society of the Cincinnati’s archives. #amrevinstitute #AmRev #RevWar #collectionscorner #OTD

Collections Corners - A French Naval Engraving

Welcome back to Collections Corner! Rachel Nellis, the Institute's Research Services Librarian, shares a recently acquired 1790 engraving of two French frigates, the Astrée and the Hermione, engaged in battle against a convoy of six British warships. Engraved by François Dequevauviller, after the painting by Auguste-Louis de Rossel de Cercy, the two artists collaborated on a planned series of eighteen engravings of French naval engagements during the Revolutionary War. We currently have two of the planned engravings in our library collection, out of three that are known to have been printed. Take a closer look at the engraving: https://cdm16923.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p16923coll5/id/305/rec/1 Explore the library's digital collections: https://cdm16923.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/ #Amrevinstitute #RevWar #AmRev #CollectionsCorner

"Saving Soldiers: Medical Practice in the Revolutionary War" Promotional Video

Preview our new exhibition, “Saving Soldiers: Medical Practice in the Revolutionary War,” in this short video featuring a few highlight objects. Drawn principally from the Institute’s collections of rare books, manuscripts, portraits and artifacts, “Saving Soldiers” examines medical practice in the Continental Army and the experiences of surgeons and their patients under the dire conditions of war. Learn more about “Saving Soldiers”: https://www.americanrevolutioninstitute.org/exhibition/saving-soldiers-medical-practice-in-the-revolutionary-war/ #amrevinstitute #amrev #revwar #medicine #museumexhibition

Collections Corner - Thomas Kempton Powder Horn

Welcome to Collections Corner, our new regular feature in which a member of staff presents an object from the collections. For the inaugural episode, Paul Newman, museum collections and operations manager, presents a powder horn owned by Massachusetts militia officer Captain Thomas Kempton, who was present at the Siege of Boston of 1775-1776. Today, March 17 marks Boston’s Evacuation Day, the day in 1776 when British forces abandoned the city. #CollectionsCorner #AmRevInstitute #RevWar #AmRev #SiegeofBoston #EvacuationDay #MuseumCollections

2017 George Rogers Clark Lecture: Was the American Revolution ...

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For the Entire Month of February, We are Celebrating and Honoring the Birthday of George Washington and Black History Month with an Online Book Sale - Save 10% (Members 15%) - Plus Free Shipping - Check out our over 500 titles including books on George Washington and Black History!

To Visit our Online Bookstore, Please Visit: https://fortplainmuseum.square.site/

Save 10% Off Entire Purchase, Includes Discounted Books, Plus FREE SHIPPING - Please Code FEB2022

Members Save 15% Off Entire Purchase, Includes Discounted Books, Plus FREE SHIPPING - Please Use Membership Discount Code

We have over 500 titles on the American Revolutionary War (Local and National), the Mohawk Valley, New York State, Women, Blacks, American Indians, French & Indian Wars, Children's Books, Historical Fiction and much more.

All purchases help the Museum achieve its mission of Historic Preservation, Artifact Acquisition, Educational Programming, and Exhibit Creation.

Thank you for Supporting the Fort Plain Museum & Historical Park, we greatly appreciate your generosity!

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***FREE VIRTUAL EVENT*** A Noble Defense: The Hessian Repulse at Red Bank October 22, 1777 - James R. Mc Intyer - Monday, May 16, 2022 - 7:00 PM Eastern

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To order Johann Ewald: Jaeger Commander: https://fortplainmuseum.square.site/product/johann-ewald-jaeger-commander/633?cs=true&cst=custom

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Most histories of the 1777 campaign in the Philadelphia are dwell on the great clashes at Brandywine and Germantown. In doing so they focus on a series of American defeats. Often neglected in the narratives of the overall campaign is the Hessian repulse at Red Bank, New Jersey—Fort Mercer.

At this small post, a determined group of Rhode Islanders under the command of Colonel Christopher Greene turned back an assault by a Hessian column some 1,200 strong under Colonel Count Carl Emil von Donop. While often overlooked in the pages of subsequent histories, this presentation will argue that, for contemporaries the success at Red Bank was on par with the British surrender at Saratoga.

Jim Mc Intyre received his Bachelors degree in History from Temple University in 1996 and his Masters from the University of Illinois in 1999. His main interest is the American War of Independence, on which he has written numerous articles and papers. He is the author of The Development of the British Light Infantry, Continental and North American Influences 1740-1765 and Johann Ewald: Jäger Commander, and translator/editor of Johann Ewald, Thoughts of a Hessian Officer on What has to be done During a Tour with a Detachment in the Field. He teaches History at Moraine Valley Community College near Chicago, Illinois and serves as a Fleet Professor in the United States Naval War College’s College of Distance Education, Strategy and War Department.

This event is made possible through an Anonymous Donor - Thank you all for your support!

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***FREE VIRTUAL EVENT*** The Revolutionary World of a Free Black Man: Jacob Francis: 1754-1836 - William Larry Kidder - Monday, February 28, 2022 - 7:00 PM Eastern

Please Register at: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_EBx11thaSzijijJ_27TpZw

To Order a Copy of The Revolutionary World of a Free Black Man: Jacob Francis: 1754-1836, please visit: https://fortplainmuseum.square.site/product/the-revolutionary-world-of-a-free-black-man-jacob-francis-1754-1836/1049?cs=true&cst=custom

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This is the story of a free Black man, Jacob Francis of Amwell township, Hunterdon County, New Jersey who was indentured out by his free Black mother to age 21.

Five different men "owned his time" during his indenture and each provided a different experience for him. The last man lived in Salem, Massachusetts and Jacob lived there between 1768 and 1775 during the buildup to fighting in the American Revolution.

Jacob enlisted in a Massachusetts Continental regiment in October 1775 and served through the siege of Boston, the New York campaign, and the Battle of Trenton. When his enlistment expired on January 1, 1777, he left the army and went back to his birthplace to find his mother and learn his family surname. He established himself in Amwell and turned out for active militia duty for the rest of the war.

In 1789 he married an enslaved woman named Mary whose master sold her to him on their wedding day. He freed her and together they raised a family of nine children. After his life of farming, Jacob and Mary moved into the village of Flemington about 1811 and lived there the remainder of their lives.

William “Larry” Kidder was born in California and raised in California, Indiana, New York, and New Jersey. He received his bachelor's and master's degrees from Allegheny College. A US Navy veteran with service in Vietnam, he considers teaching to be both his vocation and avocation, continuing in retirement after having taught for forty years in public and private schools. For thirty years, Larry has been a volunteer historian, interpreter, and draft horse teamster for Howell Living History Farm.

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***FREE ZOOM EVENT - CELEBRATE GEORGE WASHINGTON'S BIRTHDAY*** America’s Matchless Man: The Leadership of George Washington - Presented by Peter R. Henriques - Monday, February 21, 2022 - 7:00 PM Eastern Standard Time

Please Register at: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_n-j3mK11SrmAOm5mnnTnZA

To order Peter's Latest book, First and Always: A New Portrait of George Washington, please visit: https://fortplainmuseum.square.site/product/first-and-always-a-new-portrait-of-george-washington/623?cs=true&cst=custom

This event is made possible through an Anonymous Donor - Thank you all for your support!

It was not simply by chance that George Washington was America's greatest leader, although good fortune certainly played a role. Professor Peter Henriques examines the unique set of personality traits and variety of talents that enabled Washington to achieve success that would not have seemed possible given the obstacles he faced.

Arranged thematically, the book’s chapters focus on important and controversial issues, achieving a depth not possible in a traditional biography. First and Always examines factors that coalesced to make Washington such a remarkable and admirable leader, while also chronicling how Washington mistreated some of his enslaved workers, engaged in extreme partisanship, and responded with excessive sensitivity to criticism. Henriques portrays a Washington deeply ambitious and always hungry for public adoration, even as he disclaimed such desires. In its account of an amazing life, First and Always shows how, despite profound flaws, George Washington nevertheless deserves to rank as the nation's most consequential leader, without whom the American experiment in republican government would have died in infancy.

Peter R. Henriques received his Ph.D. in history from the University of Virginia in 1971 and is Professor of History, Emeritus, from George Mason University. He taught American and Virginia history with a special emphasis on the Virginia Founding Fathers, especially George Washington. Besides First and Always, Peter authored; Realistic Visionary: A Portrait of George Washington.

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***FREE ZOOM EVENT*** Lafayette at Brandywine: The Making of an American Hero - Presented by Award Winning Writer, Bruce E. Mowday - Monday, January 31, 2022 - 7:00 PM Eastern Standard Time - Registration is Required

To Register, Please Visit: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_jScJjVNaScK4AbhVmlssBA

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America's first international hero, the Marquis Lafayette, risked his life and spent his fortune in the fight for American independence from England. Without Lafayette and the assistance of France, America would never have been victorious during the American Revolution. While being celebrated in America in the 18th and 19th century – including a grand American tour that lasted more than a year – Lafayette's heroic deeds are fading from America's consciousness. The importance of the battle of Brandywine, where Lafayette was wounded on September 11, 1777, has not been recognized as a major turning point in America's independence. Lafayette at Brandywine: The Making of an American Hero redefines Lafayette's role in America's fight for freedom and the historical importance of the battle of Brandywine.

Bruce Mowday, is an award-winning author and newspaper reporter. Mowday has appeared on the Discovery ID channel, C-SPAN, the Pennsylvania Cable Network along with Philadelphia and local television shows. He recently appeared on Counter Culture, a PBS Emmy-winning show (taped and first showing in January, 2020 on Stealing Wyeth. Barricade Books has published the following Mowday books: Jailing The Johnston Gang; Bringing Serial Murderers To Justice; Why The Hall Not: Richie Ashburn's Amazing Journey to Cooperstown; Life With Flavor; Picketts Charge; Selling Your Book and Stealing Wyeth. He lives in West Chester, PA.

This event is made possible through an Anonymous Donor - Thank you all for your support!

Journal of the American Revolution
American Revolution Institute
Revolutionary War and Beyond
Emerging Revolutionary War
Mohawk Country
Visit Montgomery County NY
Montgomery County - NY
Montgomery County Business Development Center
Fulton Montgomery Regional Chamber of Commerce
Montgomery County Executive Matt Ossenfort
Barricade Books
Lafayette at Brandywine - The Making of an American Hero
The Lafayette Trail
Bruce Mowday
Bruce Mowday
Bruce Mowday
Bruce Mowday