American Revolution Institute

2025 #WVEd master teacher Adena Barnette-Miller is pictured with an item she selected from our library collections to use in a lesson she is developing for her students at West Virginia’s Ripley H.S. titled “The Unfortunate Death of Major Andre.”

Dorchester School District Two in South Carolina’s Brock Beaver is among our 2025 residential master teachers. His lesson for the ARI will focus on the southern campaign of the #AmRev supported by our museum & library collections.

Today is day 2 of our annual residential #MasterTeachersSeminar, where educators from across the country are convened @ our HQ to research & write original K-12 content using ARI-SOC collections. Meet the class of ’25 in the coming days.

Congratulations to Russell Hart, the first recipient of the Society of the Cincinnati in the State of Connecticut’s Excellence in Education Award! Mr. Hart, a 2014 alum of our #MasterTeachersSeminar teaches #Americanhistory at #PlainfieldHighSchool in CT! #RevWar

Happy birthday, Alexander Murray! This #RevWar soldier, sailor, privateer, and original member of the Society of the Cincinnati was born in Chestertown, MD, #OTD in 1755.

#OTD, 7/11/1780, French forces under Rochambeau sailed into Newport, R.I., to a cold welcome from its residents. The cordial Rochambeau quickly subdued local mistrust of the French and fostered harmony between them and his army as it called Newport home until July 1781.

We are excited to support Christine DuLucia, the inaugural recipient of the Thomas Jay McCahill III Fellowship, and her research surrounding centrality of land for diverse 18th-century communities across the Northeast. Learn more about this fellowship at: bit.ly/44ERiO3

Though the Declaration of Independence was adopted on July 4, the public reading #OTD in Philadelphia in 1776 was first time the public heard independence from Britain was formally declared. Public readings transformed a political act inside Congress into a shared civic moment.

#OnThisDay 250 years ago, the Olive Branch Petition was adopted by the Second Continental Congress on July 5, 1775. It was the colonists’ last attempt at peace with Kind George III.

Happy 249th birthday America! Celebrate the #Spiritof76 by watching our 3-minute, animated classroom video Birth of American Independence at: bit.ly/46pwkoM, & visit our website or YouTube channel to watch our entire #YearinRevolution series chronicling 1775 and 1776!

Bon anniversaire Rochambeau! On July 1st, the ARI and #WAROtrail partnered to present a salute to Jean-Baptiste-Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau, on what would have been his 300th birthday!

#OTD 249 years ago Congress adopted a resolution declaring independence from Britain. George Clymer was there as one of Pennsylvania’s delegates and could have had with him this silver pocket watch made ca. 1770, now preserved in our museum collections. bit.ly/3Gom99w

Next Wed., 7/9 at 6:30 pm! Join us for an author’s talk featuring historian Zara Anishanslin, Ph.D., of @UDelaware discussing her new book, The Painter’s Fire: A Forgotten History of the Artists Who Championed the American Revolution. Learn more & register:…

Learn about Maj. Gen. Johann de Kalb, a valiant leader & one of the 1st foreign volunteers to join America’s fight 4 independence, with our new #YearinRevolution video: bit.ly/4lb4SzJ. Born #OTD in 1721, de Kalb was mortally wounded in battle at Camden, SC in 1780.

The Battle of Sullivan’s Island, SC, took place #OTD, June 28, 1776. South Carolina Patriot Benjamin Mazyck described the American victory in this letter now on display in our exhibition Revolutionary Beginnings. Learn more at bit.ly/4fFHas1

The Continental Army arrived near Monmouth Courthouse, NJ #OTD 1778. Preparing for the Battle of Monmouth, troops planned to attack the British column as it withdrew from Philadelphia. The battle showed improved professionalism of the army under Washington’s steady leadership.

Although in-person registration is full for next week’s celebration of Rochambeau’s 300th birthday, you can still watch it live on our YouTube channel! The livestream will begin promptly next Tues., 7/1 at 6 pm. Learn more and watch: bit.ly/3T6Glzp

The Battle of Springfield took place #OTD in 1780. The last significant battle in the North, it ended British hopes of regaining control of New Jersey by land. The effectiveness of citizen soldiers and the NJ militia @NJGov helped bolster American morale. Huzzah New Jersey!

#DYK, the RevWar extended some 8,000-plus miles to southeastern India? #OTD, the British and French fought the final naval battle of the American #RevWar, the Battle of Cuddalore, resulting in a French victory.

Next Wed., 6/25 at 6:30 pm! Join us for an author’s talk feat. Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Rick Atkinson discussing the second book of his Revolution trilogy. In-person registration is at max capacity, but virtual options are available. Register at: bit.ly/4l5yPAK