As we approach the momentous 250th anniversary of American independence, our Fall Scholar Series invites you on an extraordinary journey through the Revolutionary era—from the intimate experiences of ordinary soldiers to the grand sweep of cinematic storytelling, and the hidden histories preserved within our own community.

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This autumn, we present three remarkable events that illuminate different facets of America's founding struggle, each offering unique perspectives on the courage, sacrifice, and vision that shaped our nation.

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Our Revolutionary Journey

 

Joseph Plumb Martin: The Soldier's Story
Featuring Alan Taylor, Two-Time Pulitzer Prize Winner

We begin with the raw, unfiltered account of Joseph Plumb Martin—the teenage Milford, CT Continental soldier whose vivid memoir offers the most detailed surviving record of an ordinary soldier's Revolutionary War experience. Two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Alan Taylor, Professor Emeritus at University of Virginia, brings his unparalleled expertise in illuminating forgotten voices to this compelling story of battlefield realities, Valley Forge's brutal winter, and the birth of American resilience. Taylor's groundbreaking scholarship in microhistory and social history has transformed our understanding of America's founding by revealing the complex, multicultural reality behind our revolutionary origins.

 

The American Revolution: A Cinematic Vision
Preview of Ken Burns' Highly Anticipated Documentary

Next, we'll experience an exclusive preview of Ken Burns' monumental new documentary series, "The American Revolution," premiering on PBS November 16, 2025. This six-part, 12-hour epic—eight years in the making—promises to be Burns' most ambitious Revolutionary War project yet. The series weaves together accounts of political leaders with the perspectives of ordinary people who waged and witnessed war, presenting an expansive look at the virtues and contradictions of America's founding struggle. From Lexington Green to Yorktown, this documentary captures the full scope of a conflict that was simultaneously a war for independence, a civil war, and a global struggle that turned the world upside down.

 

Hidden in Plain Sight: Revolutionary War Houses of Darien
Presented by Bertha Mather McPherson's Legacy Research

Our series concludes with a fascinating exploration of Revolutionary War-era architecture right here in our community. Drawing from the pioneering research of Bertha Mather McPherson—preservationist, one of Connecticut's first female architects, and co-founder of the Darien Historical Society—this presentation reveals the remarkable Revolutionary War houses that still stand in Darien today. McPherson's meticulous documentation and preservation efforts ensure that these structures continue to tell their stories of colonial life, wartime refuge, and early American craftsmanship. Her legacy reminds us that history lives not just in distant battlefields, but in the very buildings that surround us.

 

A Revolutionary Perspective

Together, these three events offer a comprehensive view of the Revolutionary experience: the personal sacrifice of those who fought, the artistic interpretation that helps us understand its meaning, and the physical structures that witnessed it all. From Joseph Plumb Martin's firsthand account of continental soldiers' struggles to the architectural evidence of Revolutionary life preserved in our own backyard, this series connects the grand narrative of American independence to the human stories and local histories that give it meaning.

Join us this fall as we explore how the Revolutionary generation's courage, vision, and sacrifice continue to shape our understanding of American identity and democratic ideals. These are the voices—soldier, filmmaker, and preservationist—that help us comprehend not just what happened 250 years ago, but why it still matters today.