“The American Revolution” Documentary Screenings

Join the Institutional History Museum and Galleries for a series of three community screenings of the recent PBS release, “THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION.” Each screening will include a 30-minute thematic reel of stories and highlights from the larger documentary, as well as a moderated conversation between audience members and university faculty and community panelists. Whether you’ve seen all eight hours of the documentary or none at all, these screenings will provide helpful context for the upcoming commemorations of the 250th anniversary of America’s independence.

The IHMG is proud to be a Commemorative Partner of VA250—The Virginia American Revolution 250 Commission. From the ideas that inspired it, to the battlefields that decided it, there is simply no America without Virginia. As we mark 250 years of Independence, now is the perfect time to reconnect with your country in the place that made it possible. Please visit VA250.org for more information.

The programs will be held at 5:00 PM in the Northen Auditorium in Leyburn Library on the campus of Washington and Lee University. Admission is offered free of charge. Attendees are asked to register in advance using the American Revolution Screenings RSVP online registration form. 

About the Documentary

THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION is directed by Ken Burns, Sarah Botstein and David Schmidt and written by Geoffrey Ward. Thirteen American colonies unite in rebellion, win an eight-year war to secure their independence, and establish a new form of government that would inspire democratic movements at home and around the globe. What begins as a political clash between colonists and the British government grows into a bloody struggle that will engage more than two dozen nations and forever change the world. THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION is a six-part, 12-hour documentary series that explores the country’s founding struggle and its War for Independence. To learn more about the film, visit the PBS website.

Community Screenings

Faith & Freedom
January 13, 2026 

The Faith & Freedom in America screening reel includes selected excerpts from the series and is designed to help audiences better understand religion and religious diversity during the 18th century. Topics will include the Great Wagon Road and colonial immigration in the British American colonies, Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense,” discussion of religious freedom in America and the founders’ positions, and the Saratoga Surrender. 

Panelist: Byron Faidley

Voices & Visions of 1776: Art & Culture
January 28, 2026

The excerpts from the series feature art, music, and literature from the Revolutionary Era, including the Homespun Movement, Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense,” Betsy Ambler, Mercy Otis Warren, and the Continental Congress’ Flag Resolution.

Panelists: Wendy Castenell, W&L Art and Art History Department, Meaghan Walsh, W&L Art Museum and Galleries, and Byron Faidley

The Spirit of Service
February 10, 2026

The reel is designed to encourage thoughtful discussion about THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, especially around the spirit of service in American culture. Topics explored will include the Declaration of Independence, Patriot Chaplain, Philip Vickers Fithian, the role of women, and the composition of the Continental Army.

Panelists: Byron Faidley and Franklin Sammons, W&L History Department