Perhaps no single day in US history was as threatening to the survival of the nation as August 24, 1814, when British forces captured Washington. This unique moment might have significantly altered the nation's path forward, but the event and the reasons why it happened are often forgotten. In this lecture, Dr. Robert Watson explores the British campaign and American missteps that led to the fall of the capital city, but also tells the redeeming stories of the courageous young clerks and the bold first lady who risked their lives to save priceless documents from the flames, including the Constitution. Join Dr. Watson for the shocking, behind-the-scenes story of the British attack on Washington and the rebuilding of the capital and nation.*

Thanks to The Society of the Second War with Great Britain in the State of New York and The State of New York Society, United States Daughters of 1812 for co-sponsoring this event.

This lecture was recorded as part of Fraunces Tavern Museum's Evening Lecture series on Monday, July 8, 2024. 

*The views of the speakers are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Sons of the Revolution℠ in the State of New York, Inc. or its Fraunces Tavern® Museum.

When Washington Burned: The British Invasion of the Capital and a Nation's Rise from the Ashes

It is a truism that Lower Manhattan has been America's town square since its founding in 1524, even though its history is much deeper. Virtually every aspect of global, local and national significance can be in some manner traced to this Downtown stage. Some have been forgotten and some have been transformative in our culture and many have fallen between. This is both a project in urban archaeology and a way of describing the city over time. It Happened Here captures the multiple and overlapping stories that are woven throughout our city's life. It embraces America's history as the museums, monuments and memorials that dot its streetscape do. It highlights many of the concerns, events, and places that the people who lived, fought, worked and visited here thought were important at their moment in time.

The July 4, 2024 program at Fraunces Tavern Museum was the fifth prequel event leading up to the United States’ upcoming 250th birthday and a 4-day It Happened Here celebration the weekend of July 4, 2025. This year's event included speakers on the following topics: Lower Manhattan: The Most Historic Spot in the Unites States; Upcoming Anniversaries: United States's 250th and New York's 400th; Fraunces Tavern: Its Revolutionary Story; The Promise of Liberty: An Authentic Originalism; Lafayette: A Hero's Return - Commemorating the 200th Anniversary of Marquis de Lafayette's Grand Tour of the United States in 1824; First Reading of the Declaration of Independence in New York and the Destruction of the Statue of King George III.

*The views of the speakers are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Sons of the Revolution℠ in the State of New York, Inc. or its Fraunces Tavern® Museum.

It Happened Here - July 4 Symposium at Fraunces Tavern Museum

We don't always consider the powerful impact that the War of Independence had on the physical landscape of 18th century America – much less how those impacts might still be seen and felt today. Join Professor David C. Hsiung for fascinating insights into the lasting legacies of the Revolution on the natural world, including deforestation at Valley Forge, raids that seized animals but also produced some surprisingly "positive" effects, and lead musket balls left on battlefields that may only now be poisoning the land.*

Thanks to the Paul Revere House for collaboration and promotion.

This lecture was recorded as part of Fraunces Tavern Museum's Evening Lecture series on Monday, July 15, 2024.

*The views of the speakers are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Sons of the Revolution℠ in the State of New York, Inc. or its Fraunces Tavern® Museum.

Environmental Legacies: How the War of Independence Affected the Natural World

In this lecture, Tyson Reeder traces early America's rocky beginnings, when foreign interference and political conflict threatened to undermine its aspirations and ideals, even its very existence. Spanning the period from the Revolution to the War of 1812, and focusing particularly on the career of James Madison, it reveals a nation adjusting to rancorous partisan politics, aggravated by the untested and imperfect new tools of governance and the growing power of media.*

Thanks to The Society of the Second War with Great Britain in the State of New York and The State of New York Society, United States Daughters of 1812 for co-sponsoring this event.

This lecture was recorded as part of Fraunces Tavern Museum's Evening Lecture series on Monday, August 12, 2024.

*The views of the speakers are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Sons of the Revolution℠ in the State of New York, Inc. or its Fraunces Tavern® Museum.

Serpent in Eden: Foreign Meddling and Partisan Politics in James Madison's America

Join the Sons of the Revolution in the State of New York, Inc. to celebrate the signing of the United States Constitution on September 17, 1787, featuring a lecture on the formation and implementation of the United States Constitution by Tom Hand, author of An American Triumph: America’s Founding Era through the Lives of Ben Franklin, George Washington, and John Adams, an honorable mention for the 2024 Fraunces Tavern Museum Book Award. Hand is also the creator of the website Americana Corner that shares informative stories of the momentous events, significant documents and influential leaders that helped create and shape our country.*

This lecture was recorded on Monday, September 16, 2024.

*The views of the speakers are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Sons of the Revolution℠ in the State of New York, Inc. or its Fraunces Tavern® Museum.

Sons Of The Revolution In The State Of New York Inc Constitution Week Meeting

Hosted by The Lower Manhattan Historical Association, Sons of the Revolution in the State of New York, Inc. and its Fraunces Tavern Museum, and cultureNOW. Each October the Lower Manhattan Historical Association celebrates two of the Continental Army’s most decisive Revolutionary War victories, the battles of Saratoga and Yorktown. Both General Horatio Gates, the commanding general at the Battle of Saratoga, and Alexander Hamilton, a key aide to General George Washington and the leader the climactic charge against redoubt 10 at the Battle of Yorktown, are buried at Trinity Churchyard. Additionally, the Battle of Yorktown is symbolic of the United States of America’s oldest military alliance. Powerful French land forces, commanded by the Comte de Rochambeau, and an equally important and sizable French fleet, commanded by the Comte de Grasse, played a crucial role in the defeat and capitulation of the British army. Participants include the Sons of the Revolution in the State of New York, Inc. Color Guard; Abby Suckle, Vice President Lower Manhattan Historical Association & President cultureNOW; Ambrose Madison Richardson III, President, Lower Manhattan Historical Association; James S. Kaplan, Former President/co-Founder Lower Manhattan Historical Association; Elizabeth Kahn Kaplan, The Alexander Hamilton Awareness Society; Camille Letournel, French Cadet, United States Military Academy at West Point; Alain H. Dupuis, President of the Federation of French War Veterans, 2nd Vice President & Deputy General Delegate, Le Souvenir Francais in the United States. Also includes the inaugural presentation of the Frederic P. Vigneron Award to the Federation of French War Veterans.*

This program was recorded on Saturday, October 19, 2024.

*The views of the speakers are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Sons of the Revolution℠ in the State of New York, Inc. or its Fraunces Tavern® Museum.

Eleventh Annual Commemoration of the American Victories of Saratoga and Yorktown

Remarks from the preview reception for Fraunces Tavern® Museum’s expanded permanent exhibition The Birch Trials at Fraunces Tavern, October 23, 2024, in the Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Educational Center for American History. Speakers include Peter C. Hein, President, Sons of the Revolution℠ in the State of New York, Inc. (SRNY); Craig H. Weaver, SRNY Museum Committee Co-Chair; Scott M. Dwyer, Executive Director, SRNY and its Fraunces Tavern® Museum; Melanie Hopkins, Deputy Consul General for the United Kingdom in New York; and New York State Senator for the 27th District Brian Kavanagh. 

*The views of the speakers are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Sons of the Revolution℠ in the State of New York, Inc. or its Fraunces Tavern® Museum.

Remarks from the Reception for The Birch Trials at Fraunces Tavern Expanded Exhibition Preview

Remarks and Lecture from special guests in the Bissell Room of Fraunces Tavern® for Fraunces Tavern® Museum’s expanded permanent exhibition The Birch Trials at Fraunces Tavern, October 23, 2024. Speakers include Elizabeth Cooke-Sumbu and Andrea Davis, descendants of individuals listed in the Book of Negroes, reviewed and compiled at Fraunces Tavern in 1783. Andrea Davis, Executive Director of the Black Loyalist Heritage Centre in Shelburne, Nova Scotia, Canada, presents a lecture, “The Black Loyalists: Their Journey, Arrival & Life in Nova Scotia”. 

*The views of the speakers are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Sons of the Revolution℠ in the State of New York, Inc. or its Fraunces Tavern® Museum.

Dinner Remarks and Lecture for The Birch Trials at Fraunces Tavern Expanded Exhibition Preview

In this lecture, join author, photographer, and licensed NYC sightseeing guide Tommy Silk as he discusses how he decided on the 120 buildings that constitute the hidden landmarks of the five boroughs. Discover the histories of the city's remaining buildings from the 18th century and earlier, including Fraunces Tavern itself, and learn why so few of these structures remain today.*

This lecture was recorded as part of Fraunces Tavern Museum's Evening Lecture series on Monday, November 11, 2024.

*The views of the speakers are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Sons of the Revolution℠ in the State of New York, Inc. or its Fraunces Tavern® Museum.

The Hidden Landmarks of New York

Clement Clarke Moore is known the world over for his masterpiece of juvenile fiction, Twas the Night Before Christmas — less well-known is Moore's own life story and the involvement of his parents and grandparents during the revolutionary period. Join author and historian Pamela McColl for a festive presentation on the life and times of Clement Clarke Moore (New York, NY 1779-1863) and the Moore and Clarke families' involvement in the Revolutionary War.*

This lecture was recorded as part of Fraunces Tavern Museum's Evening Lecture series on Monday, December 9, 2024.

*The views of the speakers are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Sons of the Revolution℠ in the State of New York, Inc. or its Fraunces Tavern® Museum.

Twas The Night: The Life and Times of Clement Clarke Moore

Fraunces Tavern Museum’s mission is to preserve and interpret the history of the American Revolutionary era through public education. This mission is fulfilled through the interpretation and preservation of the Museum's collections, landmarked buildings and varied public programs that serve the community. You can stand in the room where General Washington said farewell to his officers and explore seven additional galleries that focus on America's War for Independence and the preservation of early American history.