American Revolution | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/american-revolution/RSS feed for American RevolutionenWed, 27 May 2026 19:00:45 +0000In 1776, Angry New Yorkers Tore Down a Statue of George III With a Revolutionary Fervor. A New Exhibition Lets You Do It, Toohttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/in-1776-angry-new-yorkers-tore-down-a-statue-of-george-iii-with-a-revolutionary-fervor-a-new-exhibition-lets-you-do-it-too-180988830/New York City played a pivotal role in the American Revolution. This museum brings the city's 18th-century history to life through artifacts, immersive environments and interactive experiencesWed, 27 May 2026 19:00:45 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/in-1776-angry-new-yorkers-tore-down-a-statue-of-george-iii-with-a-revolutionary-fervor-a-new-exhibition-lets-you-do-it-too-180988830/To Mark America's 250th Birthday, See the Country's 'Most Endangered Historic Places' You've Probably Never Heard Ofhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/to-mark-americas-250th-birthday-see-the-countrys-most-endangered-places-that-youve-probably-never-heard-of-180988789/From a Revolutionary War battlefield to a civil rights-era safe haven, these historic sites are at risk, according to the latest list from the National Trust for Historic PreservationFri, 22 May 2026 20:20:19 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/to-mark-americas-250th-birthday-see-the-countrys-most-endangered-places-that-youve-probably-never-heard-of-180988789/This Jewish Community in the Caribbean Smuggled Gunpowder to the Patriots During the Revolution. A British Admiral Condemned the Island as a 'Nest of Vipers'https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/this-jewish-community-in-the-caribbean-smuggled-gunpowder-to-the-patriots-during-the-revolution-a-british-admiral-condemned-the-island-as-a-nest-of-vipers-180988740/A new exhibition at the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History, in Philadelphia, spotlights the little-known wartime contributions of the Jews of St. EustatiusFri, 22 May 2026 11:30:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/this-jewish-community-in-the-caribbean-smuggled-gunpowder-to-the-patriots-during-the-revolution-a-british-admiral-condemned-the-island-as-a-nest-of-vipers-180988740/The National Museum of American History Is Displaying 250 Objects to Commemorate the Country’s Big Birthday. Here’s the Story Behind Ten of the Artifactshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/the-national-museum-of-american-history-is-displaying-250-objects-to-commemorate-the-countrys-big-birthday-heres-the-story-behind-ten-of-the-artifacts-180988745/Featuring iconic and everyday items, including a Revolutionary War gunboat and a first-generation iPod, “In Pursuit of Life, Liberty & Happiness” is open now at the museumThu, 14 May 2026 19:03:48 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/the-national-museum-of-american-history-is-displaying-250-objects-to-commemorate-the-countrys-big-birthday-heres-the-story-behind-ten-of-the-artifacts-180988745/Born and Raised in Philadelphia, This Loyalist Fled to England During the American Revolution. In His Absence, the Patriots Declared Him a Traitor and Seized His Propertyhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/born-and-raised-in-philadelphia-this-loyalist-fled-to-england-during-the-american-revolution-in-his-absence-the-patriots-declared-him-a-traitor-and-seized-his-property-180988705/Matthias Aspden spent his time abroad yearning for his "native country." His heirs later took the government to court, arguing that the estate had been confiscated unjustlyThu, 14 May 2026 11:30:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/born-and-raised-in-philadelphia-this-loyalist-fled-to-england-during-the-american-revolution-in-his-absence-the-patriots-declared-him-a-traitor-and-seized-his-property-180988705/Benjamin Franklin Styled Lady Liberty’s Look in This Medal He Commissioned to Honor American and French Allies in the Revolutionary Warhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/benjamin-franklin-styled-lady-libertys-look-in-this-medal-he-commissioned-to-honor-american-and-french-allies-in-the-revolutionary-war-180988723/Franklin combined art with diplomacy to create the Libertas Americana. For the United States’ 250th anniversary, the Paris Mint is giving the design a refreshTue, 12 May 2026 16:03:53 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/benjamin-franklin-styled-lady-libertys-look-in-this-medal-he-commissioned-to-honor-american-and-french-allies-in-the-revolutionary-war-180988723/Before He Was a Founding Father, Benjamin Franklin Founded the Lending Library. Now His Belongings Are on Display There Before Heading to Auctionhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/before-benjamin-franklins-belongings-head-to-auction-they-go-on-display-at-a-place-he-loved-and-invented-a-library-in-philadelphia-180988692/In 1731, book lover Franklin created the Library Company of Philadelphia, where this week visitors can see a collection of his papers worth an estimated $3 million to $4.5 millionThu, 07 May 2026 13:43:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/before-benjamin-franklins-belongings-head-to-auction-they-go-on-display-at-a-place-he-loved-and-invented-a-library-in-philadelphia-180988692/Everyone Remembers Paul Revere's Midnight Ride. But His Forgotten Race to Secure a Trove of Documents Reveals How Government Records Helped Win the Warhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/everyone-remembers-paul-reveres-midnight-ride-but-his-forgotten-race-to-secure-a-trove-of-documents-reveals-how-government-records-helped-win-the-war-180988648/During the American Revolution, both the British and the patriots fought to keep sensitive papers out of enemy handsWed, 06 May 2026 12:30:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/everyone-remembers-paul-reveres-midnight-ride-but-his-forgotten-race-to-secure-a-trove-of-documents-reveals-how-government-records-helped-win-the-war-180988648/How Do You Lift a 30,000-Pound Mast From a Warship Built a Record-Breaking 261 Years Ago? With a Really, Really Big Cranehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-do-you-lift-a-30000-pound-mast-from-a-warship-built-a-record-breaking-261-years-ago-with-a-really-really-big-crane-180988658/HMS "Victory" served in the American Revolution, the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars. It's the world’s oldest warship still in commission—but it's in desperate need of repairsFri, 01 May 2026 15:00:20 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-do-you-lift-a-30000-pound-mast-from-a-warship-built-a-record-breaking-261-years-ago-with-a-really-really-big-crane-180988658/In 1776, the Declaration of Independence Was Breaking News. Here's How the Founding Document Reached the American Publichttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/in-1776-the-declaration-of-independence-was-breaking-news-heres-how-the-founding-document-reached-the-american-public-180988494/A new book by historian Emily Sneff records the journeys of the Declaration's first printed copies, tracking their reception in the Thirteen Colonies and overseasMon, 13 Apr 2026 11:45:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/in-1776-the-declaration-of-independence-was-breaking-news-heres-how-the-founding-document-reached-the-american-public-180988494/Follow in the Footsteps of the Founders and Have a Drink Where They Planned the Revolution Over a Few Beershttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/follow-footsteps-founders-have-drink-where-they-planned-revolution-over-small-beers-180988424/Taverns, public houses and inns served as meeting places before the war and unofficial headquarters during it. Some still stand—including these nine, where you can raise a glass in memory of the foundersThu, 09 Apr 2026 10:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/follow-footsteps-founders-have-drink-where-they-planned-revolution-over-small-beers-180988424/In a New Documentary, One of Britain's Most Famous Historians Reframes the American Revolution as a 'Messy Divorce'https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/in-a-new-documentary-one-of-britains-most-famous-historians-reframes-the-american-revolution-as-a-messy-divorce-180988457/Lucy Worsley's PBS series highlights the emotional fallout of the conflict, with a focus on the British perspectiveMon, 06 Apr 2026 11:45:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/in-a-new-documentary-one-of-britains-most-famous-historians-reframes-the-american-revolution-as-a-messy-divorce-180988457/The Gunboat ‘Philadelphia’ Lasted One Day in Battle. It’s Still Telling Us About the Revolution 250 Years Later.https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/gunboat-philadelphia-lasted-one-day-battle-still-telling-us-revolution-250-years-later-180988412/The 29-ton ship went to war against the British, then sat at the bottom of Lake Champlain for 160 years. Now it’s a relic of ragged gloryMon, 06 Apr 2026 11:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/gunboat-philadelphia-lasted-one-day-battle-still-telling-us-revolution-250-years-later-180988412/Native Nations Fought in the American Revolution to Protect Their Ancestral Lands. After the War, Settlers Seized Their Territory Anywayhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/native-nations-fought-in-the-american-revolution-to-protect-their-ancestral-lands-after-the-war-settlers-seized-their-territory-anyway-180988435/The conflict divided the six tribes of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, most of whom decided to join the British. The former allies clashed at the Battle of Oriskany in New York in 1777Fri, 03 Apr 2026 11:15:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/native-nations-fought-in-the-american-revolution-to-protect-their-ancestral-lands-after-the-war-settlers-seized-their-territory-anyway-180988435/The Spirited Revolutionary Who Led the Fight for Independence in Corsica Also Inspired America’s Colonial Rabble-Rousershttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/spirited-revolutionary-led-fight-independence-corsica-inspired-america-colonial-rabblerouser-180988408/Pasquale Paoli was a “small fish fighting an entire empire.” Four thousand miles away, the founding fathers were watching and taking notesThu, 02 Apr 2026 11:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/spirited-revolutionary-led-fight-independence-corsica-inspired-america-colonial-rabblerouser-180988408/