Florida Atlantic University Hosts the Festival for America’s 250th

All events will take place at the S.E. Wimberly Library (777 Glades Road, Boca Raton) unless otherwise noted. All events, except for the March 19 lecture, are free. Registration for all free events can be found here.

At the festival’s center is the Marvin and Sybil Weiner Spirit of America Collection, which houses more than 13,000 items of original 18th century material in the Wimberly Library. The exhibition “American Revolution: Celebrating the 250th Anniversary of the U.S.” will be on view February 2 through March 20, featuring original documents from the American Revolution.

Each week, dynamic guest speakers will bring the American Revolution to life from fresh and unexpected angles, including:

On February 2 at 3 p.m., view an episode of AMC’s Turn: Washington’s 12 13 Spies followed by a lecture with Jeffrey Rogg of the University of South Florida. Discover how the British could have ended the American Revolution before it even began and how leading founders, including George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and John Jay, had to learn the hard lessons of espionage and intelligence to win the shadow war for independence.

Head to the Culture and Society building movie theaters February 10 at 7 p.m. for a screening and panel discussion led by Matthew Elfenbein of FAU. Enjoy clips from Comedy Central’s Drunk History and Saturday Night Live with a panel discussion that examines comedians’ takes on the American revolution. Join speaker Richard Bell of the University of Maryland for another sessions February 11 at 4 p.m.

Florida was a battlefront in the American Revolutionary War when Spain, a U.S. ally, invaded Britain’s loyal “14th colony.” On February 19 at 4 p.m. Judith Bense of the University of West Florida shares this forgotten story with historical and archaeological expertise.

Explore the scandal, turmoil, and violence that characterized political culture in the first decades of American government February 24 at 4 p.m. Adrian Finucane of FAU will discuss what drove U.S. Vice President Aaron Burr to fatally shoot his fellow revolutionary, Alexander Hamilton, on the banks of the Hudson River in 1804.

On March 5, 1770, British soldiers fatally shot five Bostonian men. Discover how the Boston Massacre arose from conflicts that were as personal as they were political, and how the tragedy fueled what quickly became the American Revolution with Serena Zabin of Carleton College March 5 at 4 p.m.

On March 10 at 4 p.m., Zara Anishanslin of the University of Delaware explores how paint, canvas, and wax were the weapons that artists used to inspire rebellion and define American patriotism. The lecture includes art activities provided by the University Galleries.

On March 19 at 4 p.m., head to the Lifelong Learning Auditorium to learn from Lindsay Chervinsky, director of the George Washington Presidential Library at Mount Vernon, about how the founders conceptualized politics, government institutions, and political culture, and their expectations for the nation. She will then explore how society has evolved or remained the same. Tickets are $25 at fauevents.com.