The American Revolution

Kent A. Kirwan & Richard Dean Winchell Lecture

The Cause of all Mankind

Featuring Dr. Annette Gordon-Reed & Dr. Peter Onuf

Friday, April 10, 2026 | 6 p.m.

Thompson Alumni Center
University of Nebraska Omaha

6705 Dodge St., Omaha, NE 68182

Free & Open to the Public

Step into the ideas and debates that shaped the nation with The Cause of All Mankind, the Kent A. Kirwan & Richard Dean Winchell Lecture celebrating America’s 250th anniversary. 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 offer fresh perspectives on the founding era and its lasting impact, followed by a public conversation and Q&A. Designed for history enthusiasts, students, and community members alike, the lecture invites reflection on the ideals that continue to shape American democracy.

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

Speakers Bureau Opportunity

Remember The Ladies: Stitching Together a Revolution

Featuring Humanities Nebraska Speaker Janie York

Available November 1st, 2025 - July 31st, 2026

The speaker booking fee for this program is waived through July 2026

Step back into America’s founding era with Remember the Ladies: Stitching Together a Revolution, a special presentation exploring 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.

Community Partners:
Presented by Nebraska Public Media and Humanities Nebraska.

Recent Events

Threads of Freedom: Quilting America’s Story

Featuring a Sneak Peek of The American Revolution

On October 18th, 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.