April Fireside Chat: Revolutionary City: A Roundtable Discussion

Now more than ever the American Revolution and its legacies loom large for the American public. What did the Revolution mean for the people who lived through it? What should it mean for us today and what lessons should we draw from its memory? How might engagement with primary sources from the American Revolution help us participate in civil dialogue, appreciate the diversity of the American experience, and celebrate the common bonds that hold citizens together?

We are hosting a roundtable discussion with the creators of two related public history endeavors seeking to make primary source texts and artifacts of our revolutionary past easily accessible to the public.

“The Revolutionary City: A Portal to the Nation’s Founding” is a website that provides a one-stop-shop for students, teachers, scholars, and lovers of history to learn about diverse stories of the American Revolution from the perspective of early residents of America’s revolutionary city. It makes available high-resolution images of historic documents from the American Philosophical Society (APS), the Historical Society of Pennsylvania (HSP), and the Library Company of Philadelphia (LCP) so that readers can explore for themselves how Americans approached and lived through the upheaval, peril, and promise of revolution.

“Philadelphia, The Revolutionary City” is a free public exhibition at the American Philosophical Society inspired by the portal. It showcases historic documents and material culture, ranging from diaries and newspapers to political cartoons and household objects, offering windows into this turbulent period of change and presenting Revolution-era Philadelphia as a vibrant and growing city. Open 10am to 5pm Thursday through Sunday, the exhibit will run from April 11 to December 28. 2025.

Caroline O’Connell is the Exhibitions Curator at the American Philosophical Society where she curated Philadelphia, The Revolutionary City. Her work engages with story-telling, material culture, civics, and public memory. She has held Curatorial positions at Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, the Museum of the City of New York, and Waddesdon Manor, and has contributed to exhibitions and publications at various institutions. She is an alum of the Attingham Summer School and holds an MA in Decorative Arts, Design History & Material Culture from Bard Graduate Center and a BA in Art History from Williams College.

Michelle Craig McDonald is the Director of the Library & Museum for the American Philosophical Society. She has worked for nearly three decades as an educator and administrator in academic settings as well as museums and historic sites. She is currently the Director of the Library & Museum for the American Philosophical Society which hosts The Revolutionary City: A Portal to the Nation's Founding and which will open the exhibition Philadelphia, The Revolutionary City exhibition in April 2025.

Bayard L. Miller is the Associate Director of Digital Initiatives & Technology at the American Philosophical Society. Since 2021, he has overseen the development of the Rev City portal and has managed the strategic direction of the digital project.

John Van Horne is in his third turn as Director of the Library Company. After serving for thirty years (1985 to 2014) he returned for six months in 2016-2017 and again one year ago for what is turning out to be an indefinite period. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Princeton and a master’s and doctorate in history from the University of Virginia. John has been elected to the AAS and the APS.

David R. Brigham, Ph.D. is the Chief Executive Officer of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. He has previously served as CEO of the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. He earned his undergraduate degrees in English and Accounting at the University of Connecticut and his Master’s and Ph.D. in American Civilization at the University of Pennsylvania.