The American Revolution

Speakers Bureau Partnership

Remember The Ladies: Stitching Together a Revolution

Featuring Humanities Nebraska Speaker Janie York

This presentation explores the role of women during the American Revolution. Drawing from Abigail Adams’ famous plea to her husband, John Adams, to “remember the ladies” as the nation’s democracy was taking shape, this event highlights the courage, creativity, and resilience of the women who shaped history.

The Humanities Nebraska Speakers Bureau provides communities across the state with engaging speakers who spark learning and discussion.

The speaking fee was waived through July 31, 2026 as part of this project. Interested organizations can still book directly through Humanities Nebraska.

Past Events

America 250 Community Celebration

Saturday, July 18, 2026

International Quilt Museum

Nebraska Public Media and the International Quilt Museum hosted a free, family-friendly open house celebrating the stories that connect us.

The special event marked the culmination of a year-long America 250 initiative across Nebraska, which brought communities together through events inspired by the docuseries The American Revolution. The gathering provided an opportunity for participants to reflect, connect and celebrate the many voices and perspectives that shape our shared story.

Guests explored the International Quilt Museum’s newly opened exhibition, Material Nation, which featured more than 250 objects, including quilts, quilting tools and historical pieces spanning generations and themes. The exhibition highlighted patriotic works, reflections on American identity and pieces created by Nebraska quilt makers.

Throughout the day, visitors enjoyed an ongoing screening reel featuring clips from The American Revolution, showcasing art, music and literature from the Revolutionary era while offering a window into the voices and visions that shaped that period. Light snacks were provided in the screening room, and guests viewed artwork created at previous American Revolution community events, reflecting how these stories continue to inspire conversation and creativity today.

The open house offered a relaxed and welcoming experience where participants could come and go throughout the day, take part in a hands-on craft activity for all ages, explore the galleries with knowledgeable museum staff and discover the stories stitched into every piece.

Whether guests had participated throughout the year or were experiencing the initiative for the first time, the event served as a meaningful opportunity to close out a year of community connection, creativity and storytelling.

Community Partners:

Presented by Nebraska Public Media in partnership with the International Quilt Museum.

Revolution Rediscovered: Bringing 1776 to

Thursday, May 7, 2026

The Durham Museum

Guests joined us at The Durham Museum as we continued celebrating America’s 250th birthday with an engaging evening centered on The American Revolution, the acclaimed documentary by Ken Burns, Sarah Botstein and David Schmidt. Attendees watched featured excerpts from the film, then dove deeper with a short talk from Dr. Susan Brynne Long, early American History lecturer at University of Nebraska at Omaha. Guests also stepped into the past through a hands-on pop-up exhibit presented by the Omaha Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution, featuring items from the Patriots Chest filled with period-accurate materials and everyday colonial artifacts, and stayed for a dynamic panel discussion that sparked curiosity and brought the people, tensions and turning points of the Revolutionary era to life.

Panelists:

• Dr. Susan Brynne Long, History Instructor at the University of Nebraska at Omaha
• Dr. James (Jim) Sly, Vice President General, Omaha Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution
• Dr. Kyle Chattleton, Public Historian, The Durham Museum
• Jessica Wagner, Director of Education and Public Engagement, The Durham Museum (Moderator)

Community Partners:

Presented by Nebraska Public Media in partnership with The Durham Museum, the Department of History at UNO and the Omaha Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution. Funding was provided by Humanities Nebraska and the Nebraska Cultural Endowment.

The Cause of all Mankind
Kent A. Kirwan & Richard Dean Winchell Lecture

Featuring Dr. Annette Gordon-Reed & Dr. Peter Onuf
Friday, April 10, 2026

Thompson Alumni Center
University of Nebraska at Omaha

This free event explored the ideas and debates that shaped the nation with featuring Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Dr. Annette Gordon-Reed and renowned Jefferson scholar Dr. Peter Onuf, this flagship event brings two leading voices together to explore Thomas Jefferson’s legacy, from questions of race and freedom to visions of democratic participation.

Drawing on their forthcoming books and Gordon-Reed's recent work on the documentary The American Revolution, the speakers offered fresh perspectives on the founding era and its lasting impact, followed by a public conversation and Q&A.

Community Partners:
Presented by the University of Nebraska at Omaha History and Political Science Departments in partnership with Nebraska Public Media.

Threads of Freedom: Quilting America’s Story

Featuring a Sneak Peek of The American Revolution

Saturday, Oct. 18, 2026

The Stuhr Museum, Grand Island

We kicked off America’s 250th birthday celebrations with a special event that previewed The American Revolution, the highly anticipated new documentary from Ken Burns, Sarah Botstein, and David Schmidt.

This open-house-style event explored the vital role that women and quilting play in stitching our national story—from the Revolutionary War through Nebraska’s history and into the present day.

Attendees watched excerpts from The American Revolution, followed by a talkback with Dr. Susan Long, an early American History lecturer from the University of Nebraska at Omaha, who brought these pivotal moments to life.

Guests also joined a hands-on quilting workshop for all ages and skill levels, led by members of the Stuhr Museum team, contributing to the creation of a community quilt in honor of America 250.

A pop-up exhibit showcased treasured quilts from the Stuhr Museum’s collection, while visitors explored the museum’s campus and watched internationally renowned sculptor Benjamin Victor bring a new work honoring the Pawnee people to life during a live sculpting session.

Event Details
This free event included admission to the Stuhr Museum.
Accessibility: Film excerpts were shown with open captions, and the film talkback featured ASL interpretation.

Community Partners
Presented by Nebraska Public Media and the Stuhr Museum.

About the Film

The American Revolution, a six-part, twelve-hour series on America’s founding struggle, will present the story of the men and women of the Revolutionary generation, their humanity in victory and defeat, and the crisis that they lived through. By weaving together accounts of American political leaders and their British counterparts with the perspectives of the so-called ordinary people who waged and witnessed war, The American Revolution will be an expansive, evenhanded look at the virtues and the contradictions in the fight for independence and the birth of the United States.

For more information on the film and broadcast schedule can be found here.

Corporate funding for The American Revolution was provided by Bank of America. Major funding was provided by The Better Angels Society and its members Jeannie and Jonathan Lavine with the Crimson Lion Foundation; and the Blavatnik Family Foundation. Major funding was also provided by David M. Rubenstein; The Robert D. and Patricia E. Kern Family Foundation; Lilly Endowment Inc.; and the following Better Angels Society members: Eric and Wendy Schmidt; Stephen A. Schwarzman; and Kenneth C. Griffin with Griffin Catalyst. Additional support for THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION was provided by: The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations; The Pew Charitable Trusts; Gilbert S. Omenn and Martha A. Darling; Park Foundation; and the following Better Angels Society members: Gilchrist and Amy Berg; Perry and Donna Golkin; The Michelson Foundation; Jacqueline B. Mars; Kissick Family Foundation; Diane and Hal Brierley; John H. N. Fisher and Jennifer Caldwell; John and Catherine Debs; The Fullerton Family Charitable Fund; Philip I. Kent; Gail Elden; Deborah and Jon Dawson; David and Susan Kreisman; The McCloskey Family Charitable Trust; Becky and Jim Morgan; Carol and Ned Spieker; Mark A. Tracy; and Paul and Shelley Whyte. THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION was made possible, in part, with support from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.