Past Events

“A fresh, arresting history of the American Revolution as people lived it: facing forward. Molly Beer recovers the suspense, perils, and dazzling possibilities of the era, and her lapidary prose and keen sense of character bring Angelica Schuyler Church, her family, and her world to vivid, unforgettable life, making a great global event into a family drama, and vice versa.” - Jane Kamensky, president of Monticello/The Thomas Jefferson Foundation and author of A Revolution in Color.

Embroidered coats of arms were among the most prolific and enduring forms of schoolgirl needlework in eighteenth-century Boston. Not only do these objects demonstrate the skill and dedication of their makers, but as examples of genealogical material culture, heraldic needlework makes clear that young colonial women were integral to the articulation and preservation of their family history. 

This illustrated talk will focus on the stories told by objects in the Concord Museum collection about the lead-up to April 19, 1775, and the epochal day itself. In the aggregate, these stories contribute forcefully to an understanding that the Revolution, the great turn from a monarchy to a republic, was already over well before the day the Revolutionary War began.

Presented by David Wood

In this online lecture, Chief Genealogist David Allen Lambert will discuss how to research your colonial ancestors and determine if—and how—they may have served the cause of the American Revolution.

Embroidered, painted, stamped, carved, and engraved coats of arms enjoyed continuous popularity in colonial and Revolutionary America. As expressions of family identity—remembered or aspirational—heraldic arts are among the most compelling and enduring symbols of our interest in family roots. We will survey the major genres of heraldic decoration from the seventeenth to early nineteenth centuries, considering how, why, when, and for whom they were made, and focusing on some examples from the collections of American Ancestors.

With the 250th anniversary of the Revolutionary War fast approaching, you may be interested in documenting your family connection to an American patriot and applying to a lineage society. Join Vice President of Research and Library Services Lindsay Fulton for a step-by-step look at applying to Revolutionary War lineage societies.

Researcher Danielle Rose will provide a brief history of Black soldiers during the Revolutionary War and their motivations for joining either side, and discuss strategies for researching the stories of Black soldiers during the Revolution.

Explore the origins of the most iconic words and concepts in American history with English historian Peter Moore. His conversation with fellow author Richard Cohen will provide a fuller understanding of our country's colonial past and current ideology. 

Moderated by Richard Cohen

Hear about historian David Waldstreicher's new biography of the celebrated poet Phillis Wheatley, whose extraordinary work set African American literature at the heart of the American Revolution.

Moderated by L'Merchie Frazier

Join Pulitzer Prize-winning author Stacy Schiff for a revelatory look at her new work exploring the life and legacy of Samuel Adams.

Moderated by Ryan J. Woods

Alongside its legendary military men, the women of the Howe family wielded unprecedented – and, until now, unexamined – influence on the British side of the American Revolution.

Was your ancestor involved in the Boston Tea Party? Learn how to research your genealogical connections to the beginnings of colonial rebellion in Boston, and find out about a new lineage society created in partnership with the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum.