Join us for this 12-week beginner course on the Revolutionary War. Starting with 6 weeks in the Fall “semester” we will take you through the Causes of the Revolution through December of 1776. The Spring “semester” will pick up in March 2027 with November of 1777 and take you through the Surrender at Yorktown. You can attend all or some of the sessions. Homework is not included. Presented by Historian, Eric Orange and Museum Curator of History, Marisa Bozarth.
Session 1: Causes of the American Revolution
Wednesday, October 14, 10 AM & 7 PM
The American Revolution was brewing for 10 years (1765-1775) before the first shots were fired at Lexington and Concord. From taxes to tea parties, resentment was growing and the fight for independence was just beginning. In this session, we will discuss the six events that fueled a revolution and changed the course of history.
Session 2: The Shot Heard Around the World (April 1775)
Wednesday, October 21, 10 AM & 7 PM
After several years of British soldiers occupying Boston, the people of Massachusetts decided a show of force was long overdue and the legend of the “Minute Men” was born. Men from miles around answered the call and marched off to Lexington and Concord to face off against the British regulars. In this session, we will discuss the Battle of Lexington and Concord, and the logistics of the British plan and retreat.
Session 3: The Siege of Boston (April 1775-March 1776)
Wednesday, November 4, 10 AM & 7 PM
Following the Battles of Lexington and Concord, the British Army retreated to Boston only to realize they were besieged there by Minute Men who had, only earlier that day, come together as a fighting force. In this session, we will discuss how that fighting force became the Continental Army, with George Washington at the head, and how the battles of Bunker Hill and Dorchester Heights made the British reconsider their occupation of Boston.
Session 4: The New York Campaign (June 1776-November 1776)
Wednesday, November 18, 10 AM & 7 PM
In June of 1776, as the Second Continental Congress was getting ready to declare independence, a massive armada of over 130 vessels arrived in New York Harbor. One private wrote it “appeared all London was afloat.” In this session, we will discuss the battles in and around New York that caused General Washington to not only lose New York, but also New Jersey.
*The Fall “semester” will conclude with 2 sessions this winter.
Session 5: December 1776
Wednesday, December 2, 10 AM & 7 PM
Session 6: Margaret Hill Morris, Journalist of the Revolution
Wednesday, December 16, 10 AM & 7 PM