Fraunces Tavern Museum

Join historian Robert Watson for this talk exploring some of the fun and intriguing stories behind the stories as well as common myths and misconceptions about both remarkable events.* This special 250th lecture was recorded as part of Fraunces Tavern Museum's Evening Lecture series on Monday, March 9th, 2026. *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.

Join author Renee Witterstaetter as she presents on her book, Cloaked Crusader: George Washington in Comics and Pop Culture, looking at the visage of Washington in everything from tavern signs to comic books to movies, over the past 250 years.* This special 250th lecture was recorded as part of Fraunces Tavern Museum's Evening Lecture series on Tuesday, February 10th, 2026. *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.

On Monday, January 26, 2026, SRNY commemorated the birthday of Frederick Samuel Tallmadge, the second President of the Sons of the Revolution℠ in the State of New York, Inc., whose generosity enabled the Society to acquire Fraunces Tavern in 1904. Our featured speaker was Kevin Draper,* historian and co-founder of New York Historical Tours, who spoke on the subject of the American Revolution in the greater New York region in 1776. This 250th lecture is featured in coordination with our special exhibit commemorating the semiquincentennial, Path to Liberty: The Emergence of a Nation. Kevin Draper is a sought-after New York City Historian and Co-Founder of New York Historical Tours. An impassioned native New Yorker, Kevin actively brings to life the incredible and inspiring stories that have made New York the most exciting and influential city in the world. For over fifteen years Kevin has provided top-rated first class tours and New York City experiences to locals and visitors from all over the globe. His d

How can the American Revolution be understood as a global war? How were the war’s effects felt at home and abroad? In this virtual interview conversation with John Ferling*, author of Shots Heard Round the World: America, Britain, and Europe in the Revolutionary War., we discuss the subjects of Ferling’s most recent book and the broader scope of the Revolutionary War, followed by an audience Q&A. Following a 40-year teaching career, John Ferling retired from teaching and is Professor Emeritus of History at the University of West Georgia. He wrote and published throughout his career and is the author of 16 books, mostly dealing with the American Revolution and the War of Independence. This talk was recorded as part of Fraunces Tavern Museum's Evening Lecture series on Monday, December 8, 2025. *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.

Join author Michael Cecere* for a lecture in our special 250th series. This talk covers important events in 1775 across all of the thirteen colonies, with a special emphasis on the Middle Colonies and New York. This special 250th lecture was recorded as part of Fraunces Tavern Museum's Evening Lecture series on Tuesday, September 23, 2025. *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.

Spies, espionage, and intelligence operations during the American Revolution have long captured the public's imagination, thanks in part to popular books and television series. While these dramatizations highlight a captivating aspect of the Revolutionary War, they often blur the line between fact and fiction. Join historian Charles Dewey to uncover the real stories of the men and women—soldiers and civilians alike—who risked or sacrificed their lives for the cause.* This special 250th lecture was recorded as part of Fraunces Tavern Museum's Evening Lecture series on Monday, August 11, 2025. *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 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. On July 4, 2025, Fraunces Tavern Museum hosted an afternoon of special programming exploring 18th century New York. Hear from speakers* on topics including the Museum's special 250th exhibition, Path to Liberty

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. On July 5, 2025, Fraunces Tavern Museum hosted an afternoon of special programming exploring 19th century New York. Hear from speakers* on topics including the Marquis de Lafayette's return to America early in

On June 23, Sons of the Revolution in the State of New York, Inc. commemorated the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Bunker Hill with a reception and lecture by Dr. Samuel A. Forman*, author of Dr. Joseph Warren: The Boston Tea Party, Bunker Hill, and the Birth of American Liberty. At the 250th anniversary of the outbreak of the Revolutionary War, we recall the Battle of Bunker Hill, whose carnage and sacrifice set the stage for eight long years of war. What began as a dispute to assert British Constitutional rights within colonial North America, with New England often on the point of controversy, would eventually morph into a new country, with new forms of representative and accountable government. Joseph Warren was an outstanding personality from the early and formative Revolutionary period. A physician, Mason, editorial writer and high Son of Liberty, Warren espoused an aspirational view of what America could and should be. Warren entered the national spotlight as more visible Patriot leaders left for

Join author Kostya Kennedy for this lecture exploring the dramatic events of April 18 and 19, 1775—the night of Paul Revere’s famous ride. With new insights from archives, family documents, and contemporary accounts, discover how the legendary ride is far more complex than it is usually portrayed.* This special 250th lecture was recorded as part of Fraunces Tavern Museum's Evening Lecture series on Monday, May 5, 2025. *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.

More than 3 years passed between the last battle in the North and the British surrender at Yorktown. In this lecture, Alan Pell Crawford tells what actually happened in those 3 too-little known years that forced the British to lose the war–and enabled America to win it.* This lecture was recorded as part of Fraunces Tavern Museum's Evening Lecture series on Monday, March 17, 2025. *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.

George Washington and Samuel Fraunces developed skills of risk-taking, judgement, and leadership through their entrepreneurial ventures that would later advantage them and the new nation when they chose to join the cause of American patriots. In this lecture, John Berlau spotlights the successes and struggles of both men in their respective business careers that intertwined at important points in American history.* This lecture was recorded as part of Fraunces Tavern Museum's Evening Lecture series on Monday, March 3, 2025. *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.

On Monday, January 27, 2025, SRNY commemorated the birthday of Frederick Samuel Tallmadge, the second President of the Sons of the Revolution℠ in the State of New York, Inc., whose generosity enabled the Society to acquire Fraunces Tavern in 1904. Our featured speaker was Richard Brookhiser,* author of Glorious Lessons: John Trumbull, Painter of the American Revolution. This engaging book tells the life-story of John Trumbull, and also explains the significance of Trumbull’s celebrated Revolutionary War paintings, which reflected Trumbull’s personal experience as aide to George Washington and to Horatio Gates. Richard Brookhiser is a celebrated journalist and author who has written a series of biographies and other books on American founders and other leading figures in American history, including Alexander Hamilton, Governor Morris, George Washington, John Marshall, James Madison, Abraham Lincoln and the Adams family dynasty. *The views of the speakers are their own and do not necessarily represent the v

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.