Public Programs

Virtual History Talk

Thursday, January 29, 2026, 12 p.m. ET

Generations of Americans have honorably served their country in the military. We the People celebrates Americans who have served, telling their stories, past, present, and future, because every Soldier has a story. 

In 2016, the 65th Infantry Regiment, nicknamed the “Borinqueneers,” received the Congressional Gold Medal for the contributions “made by hundreds of thousands of brave and patriotic United States citizens from Puerto Rico” who served the U.S. Army “from World War I to the most recent conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq.” Explore the commitment, challenges, and bravery of the Borinqueneers from their early roots through the Korean War. 

Learn how their actions, along with those of thousands of other Army Soldiers, contributed to the Army’s mission.

In-Person History Talk

Thursday, January 29, 2026, 12 p.m. ET

Generations of Americans have honorably served their country in the military. We the People celebrates Americans who have served, telling their stories, past, present, and future, because every Soldier has a story. 

In 2016, the 65th Infantry Regiment, nicknamed the “Borinqueneers,” received the Congressional Gold Medal for the contributions “made by hundreds of thousands of brave and patriotic United States citizens from Puerto Rico” who served the U.S. Army “from World War I to the most recent conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq.” Explore the commitment, challenges, and bravery of the Borinqueneers from their early roots through the Korean War. 

Learn how their actions, along with those of thousands of other Army Soldiers, contributed to the Army’s mission.

Virtual Battle Brief

Tuesday, February 3, 2026, 7 p.m. ET
Tuesday, February 10, 2026, 12 p.m. ET

In the Spring of 1778, Continental Army commander George Washington entrusted the young Marquis de Lafayette with a strong detachment of his forces at Valley Forge to gather information about the British Army in the Philadelphia area. Learn from Museum historian John Maass how the French general conducted his first independent operation and how he narrowly avoided disaster at Barren Hill, along the banks of the Schuylkill River.

Dr. John R. Maass is an education specialist at the National Museum of the United States Army. He received a Ph.D. from the Ohio State University in early U.S. history and military history. His most recent book is “From Trenton to Yorktown: Turning Points of the Revolutionary War” (2025).

Virtual History Talk

Wednesday, February 4, 2026, 12 p.m. ET
Wednesday, February 11, 2026, 12 p.m. ET
Wednesday, February 18, 2025, 18 p.m. ET

Soldiers are warriors both on and off the battlefield. 

Many Soldiers have applied the same dedication, teamwork, and patriotism required to accomplish their mission to athletic competition. Since 1948, over 400 Soldiers have represented the United States at the Olympics. One hundred Soldiers have earned medals in a variety of sports, including boxing, wrestling, pentathlon, and bobsled. Before official record-keeping, many American Olympians enlisted in the Army during World War II to protect and defend the United States. Today, this tradition of athletic accomplishment continues in the Army's World Class Athlete Program, which trains Soldiers to perform at the highest level in their sports. 

In this History Talk, learn more about the commitments, sacrifices, and accomplishments of these Soldier Olympians. 

In-Person Battle Brief

Tuesday, February 10, 2026, 12 p.m. ET

In the Spring of 1778, Continental Army commander George Washington entrusted the young Marquis de Lafayette with a strong detachment of his forces at Valley Forge to gather information about the British Army in the Philadelphia area. Learn from Museum historian John Maass how the French general conducted his first independent operation and how he narrowly avoided disaster at Barren Hill, along the banks of the Schuylkill River.

Dr. John R. Maass is an education specialist at the National Museum of the United States Army. He received a Ph.D. from the Ohio State University in early U.S. history and military history. His most recent book is “From Trenton to Yorktown: Turning Points of the Revolutionary War” (2025).

In-Person History Talk

Wednesday, February 18, 2026, 12 p.m. ET

Soldiers are warriors both on and off the battlefield. 

Many Soldiers have applied the same dedication, teamwork, and patriotism required to accomplish their mission to athletic competition. Since 1948, over 400 Soldiers have represented the United States at the Olympics. One hundred Soldiers have earned medals in a variety of sports, including boxing, wrestling, pentathlon, and bobsled. Before official record-keeping, many American Olympians enlisted in the Army during World War II to protect and defend the United States. Today, this tradition of athletic accomplishment continues in the Army's World Class Athlete Program, which trains Soldiers to perform at the highest level in their sports. 

In this History Talk, learn more about the commitments, sacrifices, and accomplishments of these Soldier Olympians. 

Thursday, February 19, 2026, 7 p.m. (ET) - Virtual

Was it April 9, at Appomattox, where Lee surrendered to Grant in Wilmer McLean's parlor? Or was it ten weeks afterward, in Galveston, where a federal commander proclaimed Juneteenth the end of slavery? Or perhaps in August of 1866, when President Andrew Johnson simply declared “the insurrection is at an end"? Hear from acclaimed historian Michael Vorenberg about the struggle for peace and emancipation in the wake of the Civil War.

Michael Vorenberg received his PhD at Harvard University and now teaches at Brown University. He is the author of "Final Freedom: The Civil War, the Abolition of Slavery, and the Thirteenth Amendment," which was a finalist for the Lincoln Prize and was used as the basis for the screenplay of Stephen Spielberg's 2012 film, "Lincoln."

Virtual History Talk

Thursday, February 26, 2026, 12 p.m. ET

Generations of Americans have honorably served their country in the military. We the People celebrates Americans who have served, tells their stories, past, present, and future, because every Soldier has a story. 

Following the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States mobilized for war. The Women’s Army Corps brought women into the effort. Recognizing their valuable service, military leaders lobbied Congress to make it permanent. In 1948, President Truman signed the Women’s Armed Services Integration Act. The Act granted women the right to serve as permanent, regular members in all four branches of the military. 

Learn how their actions, along with thousands of American Soldiers, contributed to the Allied victory. 

In-Person History Talk

Thursday, February 26, 2026, 12 p.m. ET

Generations of Americans have honorably served their country in the military. We the People celebrates Americans who have served, tells their stories, past, present, and future, because every Soldier has a story. 

Following the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States mobilized for war. The Women’s Army Corps brought women into the effort. Recognizing their valuable service, military leaders lobbied Congress to make it permanent. In 1948, President Truman signed the Women’s Armed Services Integration Act. The Act granted women the right to serve as permanent, regular members in all four branches of the military. 

Learn how their actions, along with thousands of American Soldiers, contributed to the Allied victory. 

Virtual Battle Brief

Tuesday, March 3, 2026, 7 p.m. ET 
Tuesday, March 10, 2026, 12 p.m. ET

July 1, 1863, may have been the most chaotic day in the history of Union Army forces in the Civil War's Eastern Theater. The Army of the Potomac had a new commander; its most capable corps commander had been killed early that day in the fighting west of Gettysburg, and not all of the Army's troops were on the battlefield by evening. And yet, even with scanty intelligence on Confederate forces and movements, and suffering a sound defeat that day, Union forces commanded by Maj. Gen. George G. Meade barely held on east of the crossroads town. Learn from historian and museum educator John Maass how the beleaguered Federal troops averted disaster on the first day of the Battle of Gettysburg.

Dr. John R. Maass is an education specialist and historian at the National Museum of the United States Army. He received a Ph.D. from the Ohio State University in early U.S. history and military history. His most recent book is "From Trenton to Yorktown: Turning Points of the Revolutionary War”(2025).

Virtual History Talk

Wednesday, March 4, 2026, 12 p.m. ET
Wednesday, March 11, 2026, 12 p.m. ET
Wednesday, March 18, 2025, 18 p.m. ET

Since the Army’s founding, animals have been a part of the Soldier’s experience in times of both war and peace. Animals have been used during mounted attacks, as transportation, for communication, and for bomb and other hazardous detection. 

Not only have animals played key roles as warriors and workers, but they’ve also served as companions and mascots. Whether a dog, horse, bird, bear, or some other creature, animals provide much-needed distraction, comfort, and companionship, and have even been considered bearers of good luck. 

In this History Talk, explore the service of animals in the U.S. Army and the timeless and enduring relationship between Soldiers and animals. 

In-Person Battle Brief

Tuesday, March 10, 2026, 12 p.m. ET

July 1, 1863, may have been the most chaotic day in the history of Union Army forces in the Civil War's Eastern Theater. The Army of the Potomac had a new commander; its most capable corps commander had been killed early that day in the fighting west of Gettysburg, and not all of the Army's troops were on the battlefield by evening. And yet, even with scanty intelligence on Confederate forces and movements, and suffering a sound defeat that day, Union forces commanded by Maj. Gen. George G. Meade barely held on east of the crossroads town. Learn from historian and museum educator John Maass how the beleaguered Federal troops averted disaster on the first day of the Battle of Gettysburg.

Dr. John R. Maass is an education specialist and historian at the National Museum of the United States Army. He received a Ph.D. from the Ohio State University in early U.S. history and military history. His most recent book is "From Trenton to Yorktown: Turning Points of the Revolutionary War”(2025).

In-Person History Talk

Wednesday, March 18, 2026, 12 p.m. ET

Since the Army’s founding, animals have been a part of the Soldier’s experience in times of both war and peace. Animals have been used during mounted attacks, as transportation, for communication, and for bomb and other hazardous detection. 

Not only have animals played key roles as warriors and workers, but they’ve also served as companions and mascots. Whether a dog, horse, bird, bear, or some other creature, animals provide much-needed distraction, comfort, and companionship, and have even been considered bearers of good luck. 

In this History Talk, explore the service of animals in the U.S. Army and the timeless and enduring relationship between Soldiers and animals. 

Thursday, March 19, 2026, 7 p.m. (ET) - Virtual

For the doomed stand American forces made in the Philippines at the start of World War II, two generals received their country's highest military award, the Medal of Honor. One was the controversial Douglas MacArthur, whose orders forced him to leave his Soldiers on the islands to starvation and surrender. The other was the gritty Jonathan Mayhew Wainwright, who became a hero to the troops whose fate he insisted on sharing, even when it meant becoming the highest-ranking American prisoner of the Japanese. Join Jonathan Horn to learn the incredible story of these two generals and their Soldiers in the Philippines.

Jonathan Horn is an author and former White House presidential speechwriter whose books include "Washington's End" and "The Man Who Would Not Be Washington." He has written for outlets including The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The New York Times Disunion series, and has appeared on CBS Sunday Morning, CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, and PBS NewsHour. 

Virtual History Talk

Thursday, March 26, 2026, 12 p.m. ET

Generations of Americans have honorably served their country in the military. We the People celebrates Americans who have served and tells their stories, past, present, and future, because every Soldier has a story. 

Second-generation Japanese Americans, known as Nisei, demanded the right to join the armed forces during World War II. On February 9, 1942, President Franklin Roosevelt ordered the relocation of Japanese Americans living on the West Coast. 122,000 men, women, and children were sent to incarceration camps throughout the United States. Further, the government classified males of Japanese ancestry as enemy aliens. This classification disqualified them from military service. The Army later loosened this restriction in June 1942. Despite the odds, thousands of Nisei Soldiers bravely served in World War II. 

Learn how their actions, along with thousands of American Soldiers, contributed to the Allied victory. 

In-Person History Talk

Thursday, March 26, 2026, 12 p.m. ET

Generations of Americans have honorably served their country in the military. We the People celebrates Americans who have served and tells their stories, past, present, and future, because every Soldier has a story. 

Second-generation Japanese Americans, known as Nisei, demanded the right to join the armed forces during World War II. On February 9, 1942, President Franklin Roosevelt ordered the relocation of Japanese Americans living on the West Coast. 122,000 men, women, and children were sent to incarceration camps throughout the United States. Further, the government classified males of Japanese ancestry as enemy aliens. This classification disqualified them from military service. The Army later loosened this restriction in June 1942. Despite the odds, thousands of Nisei Soldiers bravely served in World War II. 

Learn how their actions, along with thousands of American Soldiers, contributed to the Allied victory. 

Virtual History Talk

Wednesday, April 1, 2026, 12 p.m. ET
Wednesday, April 8, 2026, 12 p.m. ET
Wednesday, April 15, 2026, 12 p.m. ET

During World War II, a team of historians, museum professionals, scholars, architects, and archivists came together to protect European cultural sites from war damage. Known as the Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives section, the team spread out throughout Europe and the Pacific to ensure that sites of cultural significance would be preserved and protected for future generations. This work earned them the nickname the Monuments Men. 

As the war progressed, their mission evolved to include locating, recovering, and reconstituting works of art that had been looted by the Nazis. Through careful intelligence work, the Monuments Men uncovered thousands of stolen artworks across Germany and Austria hidden in salt mines, castles, and other hidden bunkers. Their service prevented the destruction of some of the world’s most famous artworks, including Jan Van Eyck’s “Ghent Altarpiece,” Johannes Vermeer’s “The Astronomer,” and Michelangelo’s “Madonna and Child.” 

In this History Talk, learn more about the commitment, accomplishments, and sacrifices of the Monuments Men. Understand how their determination and dedication to duty protected and secured European and Japanese culture, history, and heritage during World War II. 

Virtual Battle Brief

Tuesday, April 7, 2026, 7 p.m. ET 
Tuesday, April 14, 2026, 12 p.m. ET

The Society of the Cincinnati is the nation’s oldest patriotic organization, founded in 1783 by officers of the Continental Army who served together in the War of the American Revolution. These men and their French counterparts sought to support the families of those officers killed and wounded during the long conflict with Great Britain. Learn from the organization's Historical Programs Manager, Andrew Outten, about its modern mission to promote knowledge and appreciation of the achievement of American independence.

Andrew M. Outten is the Historical Programs Manager for the American Revolution Institute of the Society of the Cincinnati in Washington, D.C. He was previously Director of Education & Museum Services at Brandywine Battlefield Park Associates, and remains on its board. He is a 2011 graduate of Commonwealth University-Bloomsburg.

In-Person Battle Brief

Tuesday, April 14, 2026, 12 p.m. ET

The Society of the Cincinnati is the nation’s oldest patriotic organization, founded in 1783 by officers of the Continental Army who served together in the War of the American Revolution. These men and their French counterparts sought to support the families of those officers killed and wounded during the long conflict with Great Britain. Learn from the organization's Historical Programs Manager, Andrew Outten, about its modern mission to promote knowledge and appreciation of the achievement of American independence.

Andrew M. Outten is the Historical Programs Manager for the American Revolution Institute of the Society of the Cincinnati in Washington, D.C. He was previously Director of Education & Museum Services at Brandywine Battlefield Park Associates, and remains on its board. He is a 2011 graduate of Commonwealth University-Bloomsburg.

In-Person History Talk

Wednesday, April 15, 2026, 12 p.m. ET

During World War II, a team of historians, museum professionals, scholars, architects, and archivists came together to protect European cultural sites from war damage. Known as the Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives section, the team spread out throughout Europe and the Pacific to ensure that sites of cultural significance would be preserved and protected for future generations. This work earned them the nickname the Monuments Men. 

As the war progressed, their mission evolved to include locating, recovering, and reconstituting works of art that had been looted by the Nazis. Through careful intelligence work, the Monuments Men uncovered thousands of stolen artworks across Germany and Austria hidden in salt mines, castles, and other hidden bunkers. Their service prevented the destruction of some of the world’s most famous artworks, including Jan Van Eyck’s “Ghent Altarpiece,” Johannes Vermeer’s “The Astronomer,” and Michelangelo’s “Madonna and Child.” 

In this History Talk, learn more about the commitment, accomplishments, and sacrifices of the Monuments Men. Understand how their determination and dedication to duty protected and secured European and Japanese culture, history, and heritage during World War II. 

Thursday, April 16, 2026, 7 p.m. (ET) - Virtual

This new history of the Revolutionary War shows that those caught up in it believed they had nothing to lose by fighting without regard for the rules of so-called “civilized warfare.” At its grimmest level, the Revolutionary War was a conflict in which military restraint was more the exception than the rule. Co-author (with James K. Martin) Mark Lender tells how this type of war led to an acceptance of violence as preferable to a defeat equated with political, cultural, and even physical extinction. It was war with an expectation and acceptance of ferocity and brutality – anything to avoid defeat.

Mark Edward Lender is Professor Emeritus of History at Kean University. He is author or co-author of more than a dozen books, including with James Kirby Martin, "A Respectable Army: The Military Origins of the Republic, 1763–1789" (2015) and, with Garry Wheeler Stone, "Fatal Sunday: George Washington, the Monmouth Campaign, and the Politics of Battle" (2016). He served on the design team for the Army’s special 250th Anniversary Exhibit at the National Museum of the United States Army.

Virtual Battle Brief

Tuesday, May 5, 2026, 7 p.m. ET
Tuesday, May 12, 2026, 12 p.m. ET

In the lead-up to the Revolutionary War, Patrick Henry of Virginia was known as a strong Patriot and advocate for independence. He is most famous for his "Give me liberty or give me death" speech in early 1775, but he also had difficult military experiences during the war. Learn about Henry's wartime efforts and challenges from military historian John Maass.

John R. Maass, Ph.D., is an education specialist and historian at the National Museum of the United States Army. He received a Ph.D. from the Ohio State University in early U.S. and military history. His most recent book is "From Trenton to Yorktown: Turning Points of the Revolutionary War." (2025).

In-Person Battle Brief

Tuesday, May 12, 2026, 12 p.m. ET

In the lead-up to the Revolutionary War, Patrick Henry of Virginia was known as a strong Patriot and advocate for independence. He is most famous for his "Give me liberty or give me death" speech in early 1775, but he also had difficult military experiences during the war. Learn about Henry's wartime efforts and challenges from military historian John Maass.

John R. Maass, Ph.D., is an education specialist and historian at the National Museum of the United States Army. He received a Ph.D. from the Ohio State University in early U.S. and military history. His most recent book is "From Trenton to Yorktown: Turning Points of the Revolutionary War." (2025).

Thursday, May 21, 2026, 7 p.m. (ET) - Virtual

In "The Battle of Manila," Nicholas Sarantakes offers the first in-depth account of this crucial campaign from the American, Japanese, and Filipino perspectives. Fighting was building by building, with both sides forced to adapt to the new combat environment. None of the U.S. units that entered Manila had any previous training in urban warfare--yet, as Sarantakes shows, they learned on the fly how to use tanks, flamethrowers, air, and artillery assets in support of infantry assaults. Their effective use of these weapons was an important factor in limiting U.S. casualties, even as it may also have contributed to a catastrophic loss of civilian lives.

Nicholas E. Sarantakes, Ph.D., is an associate professor in the strategy and policy department at the U.S. Naval War College. He is the author of four books, including "Dropping the Torch: Jimmy Carter, the Olympic Boycott, and the Cold War."

Thursday, June 18, 2026, 7 p.m. (ET) - Virtual

The Battle of Malvern Hill in 1862 marked the climax of the Seven Days' Battles around Richmond, Virginia. For the first time since the Civil War began, the full might of Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan's Union Army of the Potomac and Gen. Robert E. Lee's Confederate Army of Northern Virginia met. McClellan's Army emerged victorious, yet McClellan retreated from victory to establish a safe base. Learn about this remarkable battle from Frank O'Reilly, whose new study is the first book-length treatment of this critical and pivotal battle.

Francis A. "Frank" O'Reilly, the author of the award-winning "The Fredericksburg Campaign: Winter War on the Rappahannock" (2003), which was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize. He has been a professional battlefield guide for 40 years and is a graduate of Washington and Lee University.

History Hike 

Saturday, June 20 2026, 10 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. ET

In the Civil War summer of 1862, Union and Confederate forces clashed along the Orange and Alexandria railroad in what became the first battle of the bloody Second Manassas Campaign. Join the historian and site manager of Bristoe Station Battlefield Heritage Park for a walking tour of the 140-acre battlefield in western Prince William County, Virginia.

This free 2-hour walking tour takes place at the Bristoe Station Battlefield Heritage Park visitor center, located just off Bristow Road (Rt. 619) at the corner of Iron Bridge Unit Avenue and Tenth Alabama Way, Bristow, VA 20136. 

Ability Level: moderate due to terrain. The hike will be on unpaved trails on mostly level terrain. Participants provide their own transportation and water.