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Experience military history from the Roman Empire, 1400 years before the birth of the United States this Saturday at the American Heritage Museum. The Legion III Cyrenaica living history group will be with us on Saturday, January 25th from 11am to 3pm to share with our visitors the history of ancient Rome, its military, and culture. They will be on hand to answer questions and interact with visitors throughout the day and is included with standard museum admission for the day. Learn more at: www.americanheritagemuseum.org/event/the-romans-are-coming/ ... See MoreSee Less
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81 years ago today, the Anzio landing, part of Operation Shingle during WWII, began on Jan. 22, 1944, as Allied forces aimed to outflank German defenses and capture Rome. Allied troops initially achieved surprise but failed to push inland decisively, allowing German forces under Field Marshal Kesselring to reinforce. A brutal stalemate followed with heavy casualties. In May 1944, the Allies broke through, linking with southern forces and liberating Rome on June 4. Learn about the Italian Campaign in the WWII in Europe Gallery in the American Heritage Museum. ... See MoreSee Less
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The American Heritage Museum is open today! Celebrating Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Open 10am to 5pm. ... See MoreSee Less
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Hello all good people! The American Heritage Museum will be open on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Monday, January 20th, 10am to 5pm. We are looking forward to seeing you soon. ... See MoreSee Less
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Speaker Series: A Perfect Frenzy by Author Andrew Lawler

April 12 @ 1:00 pm, ending 2:30 pm

Free with standard museum admission

Join us on Saturday, April 12th for a talk by nationally best selling author Andrew Lawler about his book A Perfect Frenzy – A story that will forever change our understanding about the American Revolution.

As the American Revolution broke out in New England in the spring of 1775, dramatic events unfolded in Virginia that proved every bit as decisive as the battles of Lexington and Concord and Bunker Hill in uniting the colonies against Britain. Virginia, the largest, wealthiest, and most populous province in British North America, was led by Lord Dunmore, who counted George Washington as his close friend. But the Scottish earl lacked troops, so when patriots imperiled the capital of Williamsburg, he threatened to free and arm enslaved Africans—two of every five Virginians—to fight for the Crown.

Virginia’s tobacco elite was reluctant to go to war with Britain but outraged at this threat to their human property. Dunmore fled the capital to build a stronghold in the colony’s largest city, the port of Norfolk. As enslaved people flocked to his camp, skirmishes broke out. “Lord Dunmore has commenced hostilities in Virginia,” wrote Thomas Jefferson. “It has raised our countrymen into a perfect frenzy.” With a patriot army marching on Norfolk, the royal governor freed those enslaved and sent them into battle against their former owners. In retribution, and with Jefferson’s encouragement, furious rebels burned Norfolk to the ground on January 1, 1776, blaming the crime on Dunmore.

The port’s destruction and Dunmore’s emancipation prompted Virginia’s patriot leaders to urge the Continental Congress to split from Britain, breaking the deadlock among the colonies and leading to adoption of the Declaration of Independence. Days later, Dunmore and his Black allies withdrew from Virginia, but the legacy of their fight would lead, ultimately, to Abraham Lincoln’s 1863 Emancipation Proclamation.

Chronicling these stunning and widely overlooked events in full for the first time, A Perfect Frenzy offers a striking new perspective on the American Revolution that reorients our understanding of its causes, highlights the radically different motivations between patriots in the North and South, and reveals the seeds of the nation’s racial divide.

Details

Date:
April 12
Time:
1:00 pm, ending 2:30 pm
Cost:
Free with standard museum admission
Event Categories:
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OPEN MONDAY for MLK Day - Monday, January 20, 2025

We will be open on Monday, January 20th for Martin Luther King Jr. Day from 10am to 5pm. A great opportunity for families to visit on the school break. Buy tickets at the Admissions Desk or save $2 per ticket by buying online!