Our War for Independence is reflected in patriotic songs, ballads, marches and dance tunes -- a rich reflection of Americans' fears, hopes and pride as the war progressed. Not just associated with George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin and the like, this music also represents the downtrodden, rebel and tory alike. This lecture with Dr. […]

The American colonies were full of strangers–new arrivals born far away. Among the white population, those colonies teemed with immigrants from all across western Europe and elsewhere. Why did they come? Where did they settle? How did they live? To answer these questions, we’ll examine the demographic makeup of the British colonies in 1700 and […]

This virtual lecture with Alexandra Kirtley is an encore of her presentation from the 2025 Orlando Ridout V Memorial Lecture, presented in partnership by Historic Annapolis and the Maryland Historical Trust. The trade and exchange of raw materials, manufactured goods, skilled artisans, and elite/merchant class families in the late colonial and early national periods inextricably […]

In this presentation, Mark Letzer explores the surviving silver from the workshops of Annapolis silversmiths in the 1700s. He not only illustrates the few surviving objects but illuminates the lives […]

Genealogy is everywhere– online, on screens, through organizations and conferences and more. But technologies aside, genealogy was everywhere in the 1700s, too. And while we may think of Americans living […]

Annapolis today stands as a testament to its many layers of history, with four centuries of buildings standing side by side throughout the city. In honor of preservation month, this […]