“Rest of the Revolution” virtual lecture

Join the Framingham History Center for a special 250th virtual lecture featuring Dr. John Hannigan!

Traditional narratives of the American Revolution often focus on a handful of familiar events—the Battle of Bunker Hill, the hardships of Valley Forge, and the victory at Yorktown. Yet the war endured for eight long years, and much of the experience of the soldiers who fought it unfolded beyond these well-known moments.

In The Rest of the Revolution: Framingham Soldiers in the Continental Army, 1777–1783, historian John Hannigan explores the wartime experiences of Framingham men who served in the Continental Army during the latter years of the conflict.

Through the stories of three local soldiers, the talk examines their participation in the major campaigns, battles, and encampments across the northeastern United States, revealing the daily realities of military service during the Revolutionary War. By looking beyond the traditional narrative, this presentation offers a deeper understanding of both the war itself and Framingham’s contribution to the American struggle for independence.

About our Guest Speaker: Dr. John Hannigan

Dr. John Hannigan is the Archivist and Project Manager for the Slavery, Colonialism, & their Legacies Project at Tufts University. Before joining Tufts, he spent fourteen years at the Massachusetts State Archives, where he served as the curator of collections. He received a PhD from Brandeis University with a dissertation focusing on the relationship between war and slavery in eighteenth-century Massachusetts. He also has an MA in Teaching History from UMass Boston and has taught courses on the American Revolution, the Civil War, World War II, and American Legal History. He has been studying the everyday lives of the common soldier in the American Revolution for more years than he cares to admit.