Promoting knowledge and appreciation of the achievement of American independence with library, museum, classroom and preservation programs.
Joined April 2009
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#OTD 250 years ago, the Continental Congress took another decisive step toward independence by appointing a 5-man committee to draft a declaration separating the American colonies from Great Britain, setting in motion the creation of one of the most influential documents in history.
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Next Wed., 6/17 at 6:30 pm! Join us for a lecture feat. Friederike Baer examining the varied experiences of the German auxiliaries in the #RevWar—not merely as a fighting force, but as a community sustained through collective identity far from home. bit.ly/441lfI4
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Happy birthday, John Trumbull, born this week in 1756. This ca. 1834 portrait by Trumbull from our collections depicts Continental Army officer Ebenezer Huntington and was recently put on display at Anderson House. Huntington saw extensive service during the #RevWar
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250 years ago today, the #LeeResolution declared the 13 American colonies “free and independent States.” The resolution was tabled until July 2, when Congress adopted it and declare independence from Britain. On July 4, Congress approved the document that declared independence.
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There's something beautiful about 18th-century broadsides. This rare Oath of Allegiance from the press of Philadelphia printer John Dunlap, printer of the Declaration of Independence, is now accessible through our digital collection platform, The Field. bit.ly/4uhURVd
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Congratulations to Michael C. Harris, the recipient of the 2026 Society of the Cincinnati Prize, for his book Fighting for Philadelphia! The Society of the Cincinnati Prize recognizes outstanding books on the #AmRev. Read more: bit.ly/4vm4UcF
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Walk Weekend 2026 is this weekend, June 6-7! Visit us free of charge and explore the museum spaces at your leisure. Many of our partners in @dkmuseums will be open for free too! Learn more at bit.ly/4ufOhiI
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OTD in 1780, the Battle of Waxhaws unfolded near the SC/NC border. British Lt. Col. Banastre Tarleton denied Patriot troops quarter, giving rise to the rally cry: Remember Waxhaws! In 1858, Harper’s Weeklyprinted this illustration in an #OTD in history feature.
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Congrats to two educators recognized for outstanding teaching on the #RevWar in 2025-26: Brock Beaver, South Carolina Society of the Cincinnati Excellence in Education Award winner & John Ferguson, Society of the Cincinnati in the State of Virginia Teacher of the Year!
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Watch our Year in Revolution video “The Frontier” to learn more about the westernmost battle of the #RevWar that happened #OTD, May 26, 1780, in St. Louis. bit.ly/4f9ePxA
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Walk Weekend 2026 is just two weeks away on June 6-7! Visit us free of charge and explore the museum spaces at your leisure. Many of our partners in the Dupont-Kalorama Museum Consortium will be open for free too! Learn more about this event here: bit.ly/4ufOhiI
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In May 1781 Washington and Rochambeau met in Wethersfield, CT. Their conference resulted in a flexible strategy, planning for either an attack on New York or a march south to Virginia. Ultimately, this meeting led to the Siege of Yorktown. #WethersfieldConference
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Next Wed., 5/27 at 6:30 pm! Join us for an author’s talk featuring Rear Adm. John Palmer, U.S. Navy (Ret.), discussing his new book, Washington’s One-Man Army: The Life, Legends, and Battles of Peter Francisco. Learn more & register: bit.ly/4fh7En9
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Made in 1762 in England, shipped to America in 1776, captured by an American privateer, and issued to Continental Army troops—this British light dragoon carbine in our collections tells us about military leadership and American struggles in 1776. Read more: bit.ly/4eRzrKz
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Did you catch us on @CSPAN’s America’s Book Club recently? We hosted a recording of the program that featured historian @HC_Richardson , who joined our library director, Thomas Lannon, for a special viewing of some treasures from our collections. bit.ly/4up1Yw2
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Two French naval charts in our collections capture Anglo-French battles off Martinique in 1780. Created for the marquis de Chastellux, the charts trace engagements of April 17 and May 19, 1780, part of the wider French naval effort that helped make Yorktown possible.
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New in our online museum collections database — a pair of silver beakers carried during the #RevWar by Lt. John Maynard of the MA Continental Line. He was wounded at Bunker Hill, captured at Young’s House, and served until June 1783. bit.ly/42AkhSD
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Next Wed., 5/20 at 6:30 pm! Join us for an author’s talk featuring Kevin Kokomoor of Coastal Carolina University discussing his new book, The Cherokee War of 1776: Native Destruction at the Dawn of American Independence. Learn more and register: bit.ly/4wJPXmq
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The Society of the Cincinnati was founded #OTD by officers of the Continental Army as the nation’s oldest patriotic organization: created not to govern, but to preserve and transmit the lived memory, ideals, and legacy of the American Revolution.
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The Horn Work was a major defensive fortification protecting Charleston, SC, during the 1780 siege. #OTD, inside the Horn Work, Americans surrendered 5,000 troops to the British. This map from our collections offers a glimpse of the fortifications that once protected the city.
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