American Revolution Institute

The Great Fire of New York was a destructive blaze that burned through the night of September 20, 1776, and destroyed a fifth of the buildings in New York City. The cause of the fire was contested. British leaders such as Sir William Howe believed it arson, while city residents accused either British forces or their revolutionary adversaries for the inferno. The fire resulted in the military occupation of New York City under martial law, and power was not returned to civilian authorities until evacuation of the British troops in November of 1783.

Prints and engravings such as this ca. 1777 French etching, Representation du Feu Terrible a Nouvelle Yorck by André Basset, were international news as revolution transpired in America. This type of engraving was known as a vue d’optique and was intended to be viewed through a zograscope, an optical device that magnified and created a 3-D effect.

The image depicts New York burning while people evacuate and loot buildings, and red-coated soldiers accost citizenry. The description mentions locations such as King's College (Columbia University), the Bourse (Exchange), and the Lutheran Chapel, however the depictions of these locations were imagined by the engraver.

Our Fete Lafayette exhibition is on the road!

Traveling panels featuring highlights of the exhibition were recently spotted at the American Independence Museum in Exeter, New Hampshire, displayed by the New Hampshire branch of the Society of the Cincinnati. Other sets of the traveling exhibition are being displayed at the Newport Historical Society in Rhode Island and at the Harper Fowlkes House in Savannah, Georgia, operated by the Georgia branch of the Society of the Cincinnati. These traveling exhibitions are sharing the history and legacy of Lafayette’s life and farewell tour of the United States with school and general audiences across the East Coast.

Explore the exhibition at https://bit.ly/3R4GYt9

Happy Constitution Day! Today marks the 237th anniversary of the signing of the United States Constitution in Philadelphia in 1787 by 39 delegates, including presiding officer George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, and James Madison. Our Constitution and its amendments affirm our national identity as a modern republic and enshrine our highest ideals—liberty, equality, natural and civil rights, and responsible citizenship.

Our team looks forward to sharing treasures from our library and museum collections in honor of Constitution Day during a professional learning webinar for teachers co-hosted by the education staff at called “Revolutionary Revelations: Unveiling America’s Founding Treasures,” held on September 24 from 7:00-8:30 p.m. ET. Register for this event at: https://www.americanrevolutioninstitute.org/professional-development/online-teacher-workshops/

Image from: A History of the United States of America by Charles A. Goodrich, Hartford: Barber & Robinson, 1824. The Society of the Cincinnati.

Today is the first day of National Hispanic Heritage Month, during which we celebrate the contributions and influence of Hispanic Americans on the history, culture, and achievements of the United States. Earlier this year, in recognition of the importance of the Spanish-American alliance during America’s War for Independence, the United States Navy announced that its sixth Constellation-class guided-missile frigate would be named the USS Galvez (FFG-67), honoring American Revolutionary War figure Bernardo de Gálvez. Gálvez was governor of Spanish Louisiana and a key supporter of the Revolution, helping to facilitate vital supply lines and frustrate British military operations in the Gulf Coast. For his service, Gálvez became one of only eight people who have been awarded honorary U.S. citizenship.

Several places across the country bear his name, including Galveston, Texas, and Galvez, Louisiana, and Gálvez Day is celebrated as a local holiday in Pensacola, Florida. In 1976, King Juan Carlos of Spain gifted an equestrian statue of Gálvez to the United States in honor of the United States' bicentennial, which is maintained by the National Park Service a little over a mile from our Washington, D.C., headquarters.

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Artist rendering of the final Constellation-class design by the U.S. Navy.

Equestrian statue of Bernardo de Gálvez in Washington, D.C.

2024 ARI master teacher class visiting Bernardo de Gálvez statue in July.

On this day in 1782, one of the largest military actions in the American Revolutionary War occurred...in Gibraltar? The battle over the small British Mediterranean territory on the southern edge of the Iberian Peninsula had been raging for over 3 years by September 1782. France, an American ally in the war against Britain since March 1778, persuaded Spain to enter the war in exchange in part for its support for Spain’s designs on Gibraltar.

On September 13, France and Spain amassed an astonishing force: 47 ships of the line, 10 specially constructed floating gun batteries, and 300 boats to ferry soldiers, whilst on land approximately 35,000 soldiers were gathered. Inside Gibraltar, the combined British and German garrison numbered under 7,000 men.

The key element of the attack was the floating batteries. Though a novel design that proved extremely resistant to British attack for several hours, eventually a “red hot shot,” a cannon ball heated to a very high temperature within a furnace, penetrated a floating battery setting it ablaze. The sight of one floating battery was enough to cause the sailors of the other innovative vessels to panic. With the floating batteries out of action, whose task it was to force a breach in the Gibraltar walls from which the Franco-Spanish seaborne soldiers would enter, the attack came to naught. The Siege of Gibraltar would continue until news of the preliminary peace agreement arrived and did not cease until February 2, 1783. Gibraltar remained in British hands.

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The north view of Gibraltar from the istmus towards Spain. London: Published by J. Boydell, January 2nd, 1775. The Society of the Cincinnati.

, September 11, 1777, the Battle of Brandywine occurred in southeastern Pennsylvania, resulting in a British victory as Gen. George Washington attempted to prevent Gen. William Howe from capturing Philadelphia. In Great Britain, the victory was hailed as a milestone and hinted at a possible end to the American rebellion. To commemorate the victory, British cartographer William Faden, known for his depictions of Revolutionary War battles, quickly set out to produce a map of the battle for the British public.

Faden’s map, produced in April 1778, was based on three key sources: a topographical plan produced by British engineer John Montresor for the map’s foundation, a sketch produced by Hessian lieutenant Friederich Werner showing the movements and action of Lt. Gen. Knyphausen’s column at Chadds Ford, and a report from General Howe to Lord George Germain, Britain’s secretary of state for the colonies during the Revolution, to depict the northern fighting around Birmingham Hill and Dilworthtown. As Faden didn’t witness the battle, he attempted to interpret these sources and accurately depict the various troop positions and movements on his map. Based on his depictions—especially the troop positions around Birmingham Hill and Dilworthtown—Faden failed at this endeavor, which resulted in many inaccuracies of what transpired.

In 1784, Faden realized his inaccuracies and used a Hessian officer’s map of the battle, produced in 1779, to correct his errors. Whether Faden attempted to market his second map of Brandywine is unknown, though the Institute obtained a rare and seemingly one-of-a-kind printed edition of it in 2018. Faden’s maps of Brandywine show the difficulties and complexities of cartography in the 18th century, as well as the significance of the battle to the British public.

Learn more about these maps and their significance by watching a presentation given by Historical Programs Manager Andrew Outten for Emerging Revolutionary War: https://bit.ly/47DEU25

Last week, the Institute honored Eli Merritt, M.D., M.A., of Vanderbilt University with the 2024 Society of the Cincinnati Prize for his book, Disunion Among Ourselves: The Perilous Politics of the American Revolution (University of Missouri Press, 2023). Dr. Merritt’s book explores the politics of the Continental Congress during the American Revolution and the deep divisions among the delegates that almost tore the Union apart.

Before Dr. Merritt discussed the content of his book, attendees were welcomed by Frank K. Turner, Jr., president general of the Society of the Cincinnati, and Dr. Merritt was presented with the award by Clifford B. Lewis, chairman of the Society of the Cincinnati Prize Committee.

We are pleased to offer a recording of the award presentation and lecture for those that missed the event. To watch the recording, visit: https://bit.ly/4d3khx4

Established in 1989, the Society of the Cincinnati Prize is an annual award that recognizes the author of an outstanding book that advances understanding of the American Revolution and its legacy.

The 2024 Society of the Cincinnati Prize Presentation—Disunion Among Ourselves: The Perilous Politics of the American Revolution - The American Revolution Institute The 2024 Society of the Cincinnati Prize honors Eli Merritt, M.D., M.A., for his book Disunion Among Ourselves: The Perilous Politics of the American Revolution (University of Missouri Press, 2023), which explores the politics of the Continental Congress during the American Revolution. Far from a ha...

, September 8, 1781, the Battle of Eutaw Springs occurred—the last major engagement of the war in the Carolinas. When British general Charles Cornwallis marched towards Yorktown, Virginia, he left behind a garrison of 2,500 soldiers in the Carolinas. Seeing an opportunity to capitalize, Gen. Nathanael Greene and his Southern army of nearly 2,200 soldiers marched into South Carolina to push the remaining British troops there back to Charleston. After failures at Hobkirk Hill and Ninety Six in the South Carolina backcountry, Greene set his sights on a British force of 2,000 men under the command of Lt. Col. Alexander Stewart. The two armies clashed at Eutaw Springs, 60 miles northwest of Charleston. Both sides sustained heavy casualties. The British claimed victory but were forced to withdraw to Charleston.

For his leadership at Eutaw Springs, Congress resolved on October 29, 1781, to award General Greene with a gold medal—part of the Comitia Americana series of medals commissioned by the Congress for American military leaders—but because of several delays, the medal was not completed until 1787, a year after Greene’s death. The medal was sent to Greene’s executor, Jeremiah Wadsworth, in August 1787, who probably passed it on to Greene’s widow, Catherine.

This bronze medal from our museum collections is a 20th-century restrike of the original gold medal designed by French engraver Augustin Dupre. The obverse features a bust of Greene along with a Latin inscription around the edge reading, “The American Congress to Nathaniel Green, a distinguished general.” The reverse pictures a winged figure of Victory holding a crown of laurel in her right hand and a palm branch in her left, while resting one foot on a trophy of arms and flags of conquered enemies. It also bears two Latin inscriptions: “the safety of the southern regions” and “The enemy vanquished at Eutaw on the 8th of Sept 1781”.

Join us next Friday, September 13 at 12:30 p.m., for a Lunch Bite object talk featuring the Institute’s historical programs manager, Andrew Outten, discussing a portrait of Revolutionary War veteran Andrew Wallace of the 5th Pennsylvania Regiment, painted by John Neagle in 1831.

According to his 1833 pension letter and other contemporary accounts, Wallace had a seemingly fascinating career throughout the Revolution. Having allegedly served as a sergeant from 1776 through the end of the war, Wallace claimed to have participated in nearly every major battle and campaign, along with carrying out other heroic feats such as aiding the marquis de Lafayette on the battlefield after he was wounded at the Battle of Brandywine. This presentation will examine the validity of Wallace's claimed service during the American Revolution—including his claim to have aided Lafayette—along with the significance of his 1831 portrait in the context of memorializing the Revolution.

This Lunch Bite accompanies our current exhibition, Fete Lafayette: A French Hero’s Tour of the American Revolution, on view through December 31, 2024.

Learn more and register at: https://bit.ly/4cWgz8C

Image: Sergeant Andrew Wallace painted by John Neagle, 1831. Oil on canvas
Collection of Mr. and Mrs. William Allen Marshall, Society of the Cincinnati of the State of South Carolina.

The marquis de Lafayette—a French hero of the American Revolution—was born on this day, September 6, 1757.

Lafayette celebrated his 67th birthday in 1824 in New York City, less than a month into his farewell tour of the U.S. He dined that evening with fellow members of the Society of the Cincinnati. Lafayette’s secretary, Auguste Levasseur, described how the event began: “About four o’clock in the afternoon, a long file of venerable men arrived, marching two and two, holding each other by the arm for the sake of mutual support, which the weight of years rendered necessary. They were preceded by a military band, with which their tottering steps found it difficult to keep time. We went down to meet them, and were received into their ranks … It was truly a touching sight to behold these old soldiers, the glorious remains of the war of Independence, conducting amongst them the companion of Washington, the adopted son of America.”

The procession passed crowds on the street on the way to the hall where they dined, which was decorated with military symbols, names of compatriots who had died in the revolution, and an image of Washington and Lafayette holding hands in front of the altar of liberty.

Learn more about Lafayette’s tour in our current exhibition, Fete Lafayette:
https://www.americanrevolutioninstitute.org/exhibition/fete-lafayette-a-french-heros-tour-of-the-american-republic/

Image: Lafayette, engraved by Jean Marie Leroux after Ary Scheffer ([France], 1824). The Society of the Cincinnati, Gift of Isabel Anderson, 1938.

“The good people of the several colonies…justly alarmed at these arbitrary proceedings of parliament and administration, have severally elected, constituted, and appointed deputies to meet and sit in general congress in the city of Philadelphia, in order to obtain such establishment, as that their religion, laws, and liberties may not be subverted.”

, 250 years ago, the First Continental Congress met in in Philadelphia. Prompted by the passing of the Boston Port Bill and other in the spring of 1774, Congress was made up of delegates from all the colonies, except Georgia, to meet and discuss the rights of Americans under an oppressive British government. Delegates debated and agreed upon a Bill of Rights, Articles of Association, statements to the British, Americans, and Québécois, and a petition outlining their grievances to George III. Extracts from the proceedings—like this copy in our collections—were published by order of Congress on October 24, 1774, and subsequently printed in major cities in the colonies and abroad including London, Albany, Boston, Hartford, New York, Newport, and Providence.

On Saturday, October 22, 1774, Congress, recognizing that all their demands may not be met, resolved that “it will be necessary that a congress should be held on the 10th day of May next, unless the redress of grievances, which have desired be obtained before that time.” The Continental Congress would meet regularly through 1781, when the Articles of Confederation were passed.

Lafayette is returning to Washington, D.C.! Join us for a special reception on Sunday, October 13 at 5:30 p.m., as we collaborate with the The American Friends of Lafayette to commemorate the marquis de Lafayette’s first arrival to the capital city of Washington.

Upon his arrival to the federal city on October 12, 1824, Lafayette was honored with a parade, welcomed by the mayor in the rotunda of the U.S. Capitol, and feted with fireworks throughout the city. During this special event, guests can greet Lafayette himself, learn about his farewell tour of 1824 and 1825 in our current exhibition, and enjoy hors d’oeuvres and refreshments while toasting the Frenchman’s momentous first visit to the nation’s capital.

This reception accompanies our current exhibition, Fete Lafayette: A French Hero’s Tour of the American Republic, on view through December 31, 2024.

Learn more and purchase tickets: https://bit.ly/4e7YXr9

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We’re excited to announce that applications are open for our 2025 short-term research fellowships! The application deadline is November 8, 2024.

Each year our library offers numerous fellowship opportunities to provide support to graduate students and advanced scholars studying the colonial and revolutionary era in America within our library and museum collections. Our library collections include books, manuscripts, maps, and prints which support the in-depth study of 18th-century politics, culture, naval and military history, and the art of war in the age of the American Revolution.

Learn more and apply! https://www.americanrevolutioninstitute.org/research-fellowships/short-term-research-fellowships/

This week, the library welcomed Ladislas de Laubespin, the 2024 Society of the Cincinnati French Scholar, to research in the reading room. Ladislas was particularly interested in the French ship Le Protecteur, which participated in the Battle of Grenada in 1779 with the squadron of the comte d’Estaing, and the French involvement at the Siege of Savannah. Additionally, he looked at the 1830 book Histoire de la Guerre de l’Indépendance des États-Unis in our collection that was once in the library of L. de Laubespin, an ancestor.

The French and American Scholars Program promotes the lasting ties of friendship among French and American members of the Society of the Cincinnati and their families and includes a reciprocal visit from a young French scholar to the United States and a young American scholar to France.

We’re pleased to announce that registration for the 2024 Society of the Cincinnati Prize presentation and reception has been extended to Monday, September 2!

Take advantage and join us next Thursday, September 5 at 6:00 p.m., as we honor Dr. Eli Merritt of Vanderbilt University for his book Disunion Among Ourselves: The Perilous Politics of the American Revolution (University of Missouri Press, 2023), a work that explores how the founders overcame great political challenges through a commitment to ethical constitutional democracy and compromise.

In this special event, Dr. Merritt will receive the 2024 Society of the Cincinnati Prize and discuss the deep political divisions that almost tore the Union apart during the Revolution.

To learn more and purchase tickets, visit:

Special Event—The 2024 Society of the Cincinnati Prize Presentation & Reception - The American Revolution Institute The 2024 Society of the Cincinnati Prize honors Eli Merritt, M.D., M.A., for his book Disunion Among Ourselves: The Perilous Politics of the American Revolution (University of Missouri Press, 2023), which explores the politics of the Continental Congress during the American Revolution. Far from a ha...

Welcome back to school! We would like to take this opportunity to wish teachers everywhere—and especially all our alumni master teachers and teaching associates—a successful 2024-2025 academic year!

To mark the new school year, we continue to add new lesson material from our master teachers, including “The Welcome News of Your Arrival,” a series designed to complement our traveling trunks that spotlights the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route National Historic Trail and the American alliance with France that shaped the future of global politics.

And to celebrate the U.S. Constitution’s 237th “birthday” in September, we invite you to register for an exclusive professional learning webinar, “Revolutionary Revelations: Unveiling America’s Founding Treasures,” presented by our team and the education staff at the Center for Civic Education on September 24, 2024, from 7:00-8:30 p.m. EST.

View our Master Teachers lesson plans: https://www.americanrevolutioninstitute.org/master-teacher-lesson-plans/

Learn more about the professional learning webinar: https://www.americanrevolutioninstitute.org/professional-development/online-teacher-workshops/

The Battle of Long Island, also known as the Battle of Brooklyn, took place in 1776 in western Long Island including today’s Prospect Park, Brooklyn. The battle resulted in the greatest losses on the American side during the entire war, and yet it all occurred in one summer night. The fighting was the first military engagement of that followed the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. George Washington’s strategy to split the army between Manhattan and Brooklyn proved a failure, however, their retreat across the East River was later considered masterful.

This battle plan created by the French military engineer and cartographer Georges-Louis Le Rouge in 1777 is part of our library collections and depicts the British attack on the American army in Brooklyn Heights. The plan also shows Jamaica Pass, the road accessed by the British to separate the American forces in a surprise attack. This path was first used by Native Americans who accessed the area to harvest fish.

Americans agree that their nation’s origins lie in the Revolution, but they have never agreed on what the Revolution meant. Join us on Tuesday, September 3 at 6:30 p.m., for an author’s talk featuring historian Michael Hattem, Ph.D., revealing how conflicts over the meaning and legacy of the Revolution—including the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution—have influenced the most important events and tumultuous periods in the nation’s history.

Drawing from his new book, Memory of ’76: The Revolution in American History, published by Yale University Press, Dr. Hattem explores the Revolution’s unique role in American history, demonstrating how the meaning of the Revolution has never been fixed and how the nation’s founding has sometimes done more to divide Americans than to unite them.

To learn more and register for the author’s talk, visit: https://bit.ly/4fY0IZE

The Battle of Bladensburg took place , August 24, 1814, during the War of 1812. That day American forces, primarily made up of local militias, attempted to halt the British march on Washington at Bladensburg, Maryland—one of only two routes into the capital from the east. With President James Madison looking on, indecision and strategic blunders by American commanders resulted in an embarrassing defeat.

The one bright spot for the Americans was Joshua Barney of Maryland, a veteran of the Revolutionary War when he was an officer in the Continental Navy. During the War of 1812, he commanded the Chesapeake Bay flotilla, a fleet of shallow-draft gunboats of his own design used to harass invading British vessels. In August 1814, Barney and 400 of his flotilla men put up a spirited defense of the bridge over the Eastern Branch of the Potomac (now the Anacostia River). Despite their bravery under heavy British fire, the Americans couldn’t hold the bridge and fled. The British easily marched into Washington that evening and began burning the U.S. Capitol, the White House, the navy yard, and other federal buildings in the nation’s capital.

One month after the battle, the Board of Alderman and the Council of the City of Washington awarded Joshua Barney a presentation sword to recognize “his distinguished gallantry and good conduct” during the fight. The sword, now in our collections, is embellished with gold damask decorations on the blued steel blade representing naval figures and trophies, and bears an eagle head pommel and an eagle within a shell-shaped shield on the hilt.

Watch a video about the sword:
https://www.americanrevolutioninstitute.org/video/a-presentation-sword-awarded-to-commodore-joshua-barney/

A Presentation Sword Awarded to Commodore Joshua Barney - The American Revolution Institute Museum Collections and Operations Manager Paul Newman discusses a presentation sword awarded to Commodore Joshua Barney (1759-1818) by the city of Washington, D.C., for his service at the Battle of Bladensburg, fought on August 24, 1814. Barney, who was a veteran of the Revolutionary War and an orig...

Cool down from summer with our upcoming season of historical programs, which kicks off on September 3!

Highlights of our fall programs include an author's talk given by historian Michael Hattem discussing his new book, Memory of '76: The Revolution in American History, on September 3; the 2024 Society of the Cincinnati Prize presentation and reception on September 5; a special reception commemorating the marquis de Lafayette's first arrival to Washington, D.C., in 1824, on October 13; a Lunch Bite object talk featuring the Institute's museum collections and operations manager, Paul Newman, discussing a 1780s Chinese export porcelain punch bowl depicting the British naval victory at the Battle of the Saintes on November 8; and a lecture featuring Justin Cherry, resident baker at George Washington’s Mount Vernon, discussing the Continental Army’s Baking Department from 1778-1781, on December 17.

To explore and register for our fall programs, visit: https://bit.ly/47ZdvHl

Having learned of the American war in the summer of 1775, the marquis de Lafayette responded to American calls for republican principles inspired by ancient Rome, the opportunity to avenge France’s defeat by the British in the Seven Years’ War, and the chance to further his military career. Join us on Wednesday, August 28 at 6:30 p.m. for a lecture featuring historian Iris de Rode, Ph.D., exploring General Lafayette’s participation in the American Revolution.

During the war, Lafayette was wounded the first time he saw action, at Brandywine, and went on to command American troops at Barren Hill, Monmouth, Newport, and Yorktown. He also helped solidify French support for the Revolution, returning home in 1779 to lobby King Louis XVI and his ministers to send an army to aid the Americans—a successful effort that resulted in a large expeditionary force setting sail for America the following year. For this lecture, Dr. de Rode highlights Lafayette’s monumental career during the American Revolution and discusses the impact of his service on the later years of his life. This program accompanies our current exhibition, Fete Lafayette: A French Hero’s Tour of the American Republic, on view through December 31, 2024.

Learn more and register: https://bit.ly/4ctktWl

Image: Detail of Baron de Kalb Introducing Lafayette to Silas Deane painted by Alonzo Chappel, 1857. Oil on Canvas. Museum of the American Revolution. Philadelphia, Pa.

, August 19, 1779, American major Henry “Light Horse Harry” Lee led a successful nighttime raid against the British fortification at Paulus Hook, N.J. Consisting of about 300 soldiers, the raiding party overran the fort’s outer defenses and captured over 150 British soldiers. Although the Americans were forced to withdraw at dawn and the British were able to regain control of the fort, the raid weakened British control in New Jersey and continued to prove that the Americans were a formidable force.

For his bravery, Major Lee was awarded a gold medal by Congress. The obverse features a bust of Major Lee and a Latin inscription reading, “The American Congress to Henry Lee, major of cavalry,” along with the mark of the engraver, Joseph Wright. The reverse bears another Latin inscription, encircled by a wreath of laurel, reading, “Notwithstanding rivers and ramparts, he conquered, with a handful of men, the enemy by skill and valor, and attached by his humanity those vanquished by his arms. In commemoration of Paulus Hook, August 19, 1779.” Major Lee was the only non-general to receive such a medal during the Revolution.

Image: Comitia Americana medal, Henry Lee at Paulus Hook, restrike after the original, 19th-20th century, gilt bronze. The Society of the Cincinnati.