Published on: February 26th, 2026

Hillsdale College to Host Revolutionary War Lecture Series at Hillsdale in D.C.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Hillsdale in D.C. and Hillsdale College’s Center for Military History and Strategy are hosting a lecture series in the nation’s capital titled “The American Revolutionary War.” Lectures will focus on key strategic and geopolitical aspects of the war.

“The principles of the Declaration of Independence were not just abstractions to America’s Founders,” said Matthew Spalding, Hillsdale’s vice president for Washington operations. “The authors of the Declaration pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor to support it. Studying the American Revolution invites us to remember the sacrifices of America’s founding generation and to recommit ourselves to the principles they fought for.”

The series is part of Hillsdale in D.C.’s celebration of the 250th anniversary of American independence.

“It is an appropriate time to re-examine America’s revolutionary struggle and to ponder why it succeeded,” said Paul Rahe, director of the Center for Military History and Strategy.

The lectures will take place on the second Mondays of March, April, May, and June at Hillsdale’s newly renovated D.C. campus.

 

‘No Man Will Think Himself Bound to Fight’: The Crises of Supply During the American Revolution

Monday, March 9

Dave Stewart (Hillsdale College)

 

The Revolutionary War in Its Geopolitical Context: The Contributions of the Dutch, the French, and the Spanish to the American Victory

Monday, April 13

Andrew O’Shaughnessy (University of Virginia)

 

‘The Compleat Victory’: Saratoga and the American Revolution

Monday, May 11

Kevin Weddle (U.S. Army War College)

 

From Yorktown to Philadelphia: Geopolitical Imperatives and the American Constitution

Monday, June 8

Paul Rahe (Hillsdale College)

 

For photos of Hillsdale in D.C., click here. For photos of Hillsdale College, click here. For a high-resolution copy of the Hillsdale College clocktower logo, click here.

About Hillsdale in D.C.

Hillsdale in D.C. is an extension of the teaching mission of Hillsdale College to Washington, D.C. Its purpose is to teach the Constitution and the principles that give it meaning. Through the study of original source documents from American history—and of older books that formed the education of America’s founders—it seeks to inspire students, teachers, citizens, and policymakers to return the America’s principles to their central place in the political life of the nation.

About Hillsdale College

Hillsdale College is an independent liberal arts college located in southern Michigan. Founded in 1844, the College has built a national reputation through its classical liberal arts core curriculum and its principled refusal to accept federal or state taxpayer subsidies, even indirectly in the form of student grants or loans. It also conducts an outreach effort promoting civil and religious liberty, including a free monthly speech digest, Imprimis, with a circulation of more than 5.7 million. For more information, visit hillsdale.edu.