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.
March 2019
Lecture – “Wonderland of the World”: The Andersons and Japan
Japan was a touchstone in the lives of Larz and Isabel Anderson, who traveled to the country four times during the so-called “Gilded Age,” when status was expressed in part through collecting fine art. The couple assembled a large collection of Meiji-period Japanese art and displayed much of it amidst the western-style interiors and décor of Anderson House. Commemorate the 113th anniversary of the completion of Anderson House with an exploration of key Japanese works in the Anderson collection presented…
Find out more »April 2019
Author’s Talk—John Marshall: The Man Who Made the Supreme Court
Historian and columnist Richard Brookhiser discusses and signs copies of his biography of John Marshall, a Revolutionary War veteran whose career as chief justice of the Supreme Court transformed American law and politics. When Marshall became the fourth chief justice of the United States in 1801, the Supreme Court was the weakest branch of the federal government. After his thirty-four-year tenure on the bench, the judicial branch was an equal power in American government. Marshall’s influence over three decades of…
Find out more »Concert – Guitar
In this third date in the American Music Series, Zachary Grim performs a range of guitar music, from the Sousa-esque compositions of William Foden to the Appalachian-inspired compositions of Robert Beaser, as well as modern compositions commissioned by the artist. As a concert guitarist and lutenist, Zachary Grim is an innovative performer who incorporates modern approaches into traditional music. The concert will last approximately one hour. Seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Find out more »Revolutionary Choices Game Launch
Join us for a reception and an evening of play as we celebrate the world-wide launch of Revolutionary Choices, a video game created by the American Revolution Institute to make the Revolution fun—and to let players experience how hard it was to achieve independence while ensuring liberty and union. A more perfect union is possible—play to find out if you can beat the founders or devolve into tyranny. We promise an evening of fun: an opportunity to play, socialize, and…
Find out more »Lunch Bite – The Loyalist Prisoner Experience
Library Assistant Kieran O’Keefe discusses the loyalist prisoner experience during the Revolutionary War featuring an engraving of the notorious underground prison at Simsbury Mines in Connecticut, published in 1781 in a London periodical. While revolutionaries in New York contended with British forces based in New York City and Canada, they also faced an internal threat from the state's loyalist inhabitants. Fearing that loyalists might undermine the Revolution through insurrection or by aiding the British army, patriot leaders chose to arrest…
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