Students of the American Revolution face a wealth of opportunities at the end of May with two conferences in Virginia and New York. Although they overlap, they’re far enough apart geographically to cater to people from New England through the Mid-Atlantic down to the South.
National Museum of the United States Army Symposium
Events marking the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution are well underway and ERW is along for the ride to bring them to a wider audience. With that in mind, we’re pleased to draw attention to The National Museum of the United States Army, which is opening a new exhibit titled “Call to Arms: The Soldier and the Revolutionary War” and kicking off events with a Symposium on the war’s early years. (https://www.thenmusa.org/symposium2025/)
The Symposium starts virtually in the evening of May 29 with a panel discussion on commemoration before moving to both virtual and in-person talks on Friday, May 30. Panelists include:
- David Preston: “The Roots of Conflict.”
- Holly Mayer: “The Formation of the Continental Army.”
- Michael Cecere: “The Early was in the South.”
- Panel: “Revolutionary War Leadership,” with Christian McBurney, Joyce Lee Malcolm, and Ricardo Herrera.
- Mark Lender: “Washington’s Campaigns, 1776-1777.”
Those attending in-person will have a sneak peak at the “Call to Arms” exhibit. On May 31, John Maass will lead a group on a walking tour of George Washington’s Alexandria, Virginia.
The conference and walking tour are free, but do require registration as space is limited.
Fort Plain Museum and Historical Park Conference
The same weekend, Fort Plain Museum and Historical Park is holding its annual Revolutionary War Conference in Johnstown, NY with an equally auspicious lineup of speakers and presentations. Events begin with a bus tour of Lexington and Concord on May 29 and then recommence with a full series of speakers in the afternoon of May 30, all day on May 31, and a series of presentations on the morning of June 1.
Some of the featured speakers include Pulitzer Prize winning author Rick Atkinson, previewing his forthcoming book “The Fate of the Day: The War for America, Fort Ticonderoga to Charleston, 1777-1780,” Don Hagist discussing his groundbreaking work on British soldiers in the war, and Major General Jason Bohm, USMC (ret) on his book about the founding of the Marine Corps during the Revolution and its earliest operations.
Emerging Revolutionary War Era 