This National Volunteer Month, we salute our volunteer docents who dedicate their time, energy, and talent to welcoming visitors to Anderson House, leading tours of our museum, and sharing their passion for our history and mission. They make visiting our museum the special

#OTD, April 7, 1776, Capt. John Barry, commander of the Continental Navy brig Lexington, engaged and captured the British sloop HMS Edward off the coast of Virginia, marking the first successful capture of a Royal Navy vessel during the American Revolution.

Teach and learn about America’s #RevolutionaryBeginnings with set of classroom resources connecting to our new museum exhibition at: bit.ly/4i62xo0

#OTD in 1784 King George III ratified the Treaty of Paris. John Jay, one of the American negotiators during the treaty conference, wrote to Elbridge Gerry, in Feb. 1784 noting “We wish to receive a Ratification of the Treaty of Peace…” bit.ly/42qhpHs

Next Fri., 4/18 at 12:30 p.m.! Join us for a Lunch Bite featuring the Institute’s deputy director and curator, Emily Parsons, discussing a an American-made hanger sword carried during the early months of the Revolutionary War. Learn more and register: bit.ly/4ib23MO

Celebrate #NationalSubmarineDay today, April 11, by learning more about the US Navy’s first submersible, the Turtle, first deployed in combat during the #RevWar in New York Harbor in September 1776.

North Carolina became the first American colony to formally call for separation from Great Britain #OTD April 12, 1776, when the NC Provincial Assembly adopted the Halifax Resolves, which directed its delegates to the Continental Congress to vote for independence.

In DC for spring break or another trip? Visit our museum at Anderson House for a unique American Revolution-meets-Gilded Age experience, with guided tours of the 1905 mansion and viewing our #250th exhibition Revolutionary Beginnings. bit.ly/46D58Rs

We’re excited to have lent 15 objects from our collections to the Louisiana State Museums for their exhibit Bienvenue Lafayette. See prints, medals, ceramics, and more from our collections at the Cabildo in New Orleans thru Jan. 18, 2026. bit.ly/3XZjXLd

On Wed., 5/21 at 6 p.m., join our library staff and historian Susan Brynne Long for a special program exploring selections from our library collections relating to the experience of prisoners of war during the #RevWar. Learn more and purchase tickets: bit.ly/3Y177w0

As we approach a new season of programming, be sure to catch up on recent programs from our current season by watching recordings of them in our video library. Explore and watch here: bit.ly/3ZItSmL

250 years ago tomorrow, rebellion turned into war in Massachusetts & the fight for liberty began. #YearInRevolution, our new video series, produced by Makematic, explores the essential “who, what, where, when, & how” of the #RevWar. Check out 1775 now! bit.ly/3EgdWDn

#OTD, 250 years ago, the #RevWar began at the battles of Lexington and Concord. Learn more about the battles and the men who fought them by watching yesterday’s Lunch Bite highlighting the sword of a minute man who answered the Lexington Alarm. bit.ly/3Gf5GUJ

Next Tues., 4/29 at 6:30 pm! Join us for a panel discussion highlighting the Battles of Lexington and Concord. Panelists will discuss the prelude, participants, and recent studies and enhanced interpretations of the battles. Learn more & register: bit.ly/3GfqmvF

Next Thurs., 5/1 at 6:30pm! Join us for a lecture featuring Elizabeth Chew and Melina Testin of the @schistoricalsoc discussing the 4th South Carolina Regiment during the #RevWar and an orderly book kept by Capt. Barnard Elliot that will be on display. bit.ly/3YKoeT3

#OTD in 1775 this document in our collections authorized Samuel Leighton from Kittery in York County to “inlist a company, to consist of 59 [56] able-bodied and effective men…for the preservation of American liberty” after the Battles of Lexington and Concord.

OTD in 1781, Maj. Gen. Nathanael Greene and his Continental Army were defeated at the Battle of Hobkirk Hill – but the costs to the British were hardly worth the advantage as they abandoned the area shortly thereafter.

We’re thrilled to be part of the Decorative Arts Trust’s new Collecting250 resource! This website features 250 objects—including three from our collections—that tell the story of America for the Semiquincentennial. Explore at collecting250.com

Happy birthday #267 James Monroe, born #OTD 4/28/1758! #RevWar #veteran Monroe suffered near-fatal wound fighting at Trenton in 1776. After serving as #POTUS from 1817-25, Monroe died on #IndependenceDay July 4, 1831.