Past Institutes

The American Revolutionary War: Part II (Spring 2026 Webinar)

On February 10, 2026, Humanities Texas held a webinar examining the American Revolutionary War from late 1777, following the Battle of Saratoga, through its conclusion in 1784. This was the fifth in a series of webinars held in 2025–2026 to commemorate the United States Semiquincentennial.

The series featured leading scholars sharing the latest research on the American Revolutionary War and the consequences of American independence. Special attention was given to the long struggle to secure independence and the many groups and perspectives of the revolutionary era, including American patriots, British soldiers and loyalists, women, Native Americans, and African Americans.

Curriculum

This session examined the American Revolutionary War in its American and global perspectives, from late 1777, following the Battle of Saratoga, through its conclusion in 1784. The American War for Independence was an international affair from its earliest stages and expanded as the war continued. The war was also a civil war: a civil war within the British empire, a series of civil wars within the states, and a civil war within the Iroquois Confederacy (Haudenosaunee). This webinar placed the First American Civil War, the Revolutionary War, in its domestic, global, and international contexts. The war created opportunities for marginalized or excluded peoples and communities like women, Indians, and free and enslaved Blacks to exercise autonomy and chart their own courses.

This session considered questions about political and military strategy, and war and society. What did combatants--both states and individuals--hope to attain through war? How did political leaders craft political strategy? How did they and military leaders translate military operations into the ways of attaining those political ends? How did war affect societies? In turn, how did societies affect the conduct of war? War is both a creative and destructive act. Beyond the obvious aspects of destruction, what of the opportunities? As the war concluded, how did the new republic treat its veterans and what might that say about American society and government? The American Revolution remains a central event in Americans’ construction of identity.

Content aligned with the TEKS for U.S. history and government. Like all Humanities Texas teacher programs, the webinar was content-based and teacher-centered, with an emphasis on teaching with primary sources and developing effective pedagogical strategies.

Faculty

Ricardo A. Herrera (U.S. Army War College) led the webinar.

Schedule

The webinar took place on Zoom from 5:00-6:15 p.m. CT on February 10, 2026. The schedule is available here.

Sponsors

This webinar was made possible with major funding from the State of Texas, with ongoing support from the National Endowment for the Humanities.