Road to Revolution

June 21 - August 28, 2024

The origins of the American Revolution can be traced to another conflict–the Seven Years' War. Colonial resistance emerged in response to new imperial policies related to western lands and eastern taxes (and trade) as Parliament grappled to administer its vastly expanded empire.

August 29 - October 30, 2024

The First Continental Congress convened to discuss united resistance to the Coercive Acts and issued a Declaration of Rights and the Articles of Association. Recognizing that unity would be essential to forcing a repeal of the so-called "Intolerable Acts," the Continental Association formed local committees to put economic pressure on Parliament–and on their neighbors–to submit to patriotic boycotts.

October 31, 2024 - January 29, 2025

The American Revolution aligned and divided Native American communities just as it did British North American colonists. The stories presented reveal that whether Native Americans sided with the Rebels, Redcoats, neither, or both, the actions of tribes and their leaders were primarily motivated by a desire to preserve their land and autonomy.

January 30 - April 30, 2025

More than a year before independence was declared, war broke out between the British Army and New England militia at the Battles of Lexington and Concord. While we will likely never know who fired the “shot heard round the world,” the events of this defining moment spurred Continental action and have stirred the national imagination ever since.

May 1 - June 18, 2025

As the Second Continental Congress established the Continental Army, the second major battle of the American Revolutionary War commenced. Although the Redcoats prevailed in the so-called Battle of Bunker Hill, high British casualties forced many to rethink colonial military capability.

June 23 - September 24, 2025

Though a state of war existed between the British Empire and its American colonies many, if not most, colonists still wished for peace. In an attempt at reconciliation, Congress pledged American loyalty to King Geroge III in its Olive Branch Petition. In return, the King proclaimed every rebel a traitor. Great Britain's refusal to negotiate raised the stakes for revolutionaries and strengthened colonial support for independence.

September 25 - February 19, 2026

Free and enslaved African Americans were active participants in the American Revolution from the earliest days of colonial resistance. The stories featured will reveal that the loyalty of many African Americans were to the ideals of the Revolution before either side in the conflict. Whether they saw their best hope with the American cause or viewed England as the land of liberty, many Black women and men chose the side that offered their greatest possibility of freedom.

February 20 - April 30, 2026

The Revolutionary War profoundly affected the lives of women regardless of their race, class or free status. While many women took part in the conflict, few undertook daring actions that defied gender roles of the time. This display will explore the range of women’s experience of the American Revolution through records that offer a glimpse into the lives of one half of the founding generation. 

May 1 - June 18, 2026

After a year at war it became clear to most that reconciliation with Great Britain was no longer possible. With each resolution in the late spring of 1776, the United Colonies moved one step closer to becoming the free and independent United States.

June 23 - August 6, 2026

The Declaration of Independence announced to the world the colonies' separation from Great Britain and the establishment of the United States of America.  Joining this commemoration of the 250th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and the nation’s founding are stories that reflect the limits of the Declaration’s highest ideals for members of the founding generation.