A conference exploring the American Revolution through a broader Atlantic lens will take place next month.

The National Museum of Bermuda, in partnership with Atlantic World Connections, will host Beyond the Thirteen: the American Revolution as an Atlantic Civil War, an international conference and public programme on October 8 and 9.

Timed to coincide with the approaching 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, the conference will explore the conflict, examining its impact on Bermuda, the Caribbean and other Atlantic communities.

Moving beyond traditional narratives centred on the 13 North American colonies, participating scholars will consider themes of loyalty, identity, commerce, migration, freedom and the lasting legacies of the conflict.

On the first day, the programme will begin with a free public lecture and panel discussion at Bermuda College, bringing together local and international scholars in conversation with the community.

The NMB will then host a one-day scholarly conference at the museum where six Bermudian and international researchers will present new and emerging scholarship on Bermuda’s role during the American Revolution and its wider Atlantic context.

The conference will be offered for in-person and virtual attendees.

Elena Strong, the NMB executive director, said: “This conference creates an important opportunity to bring researchers, students, educators and members of the public together to explore Bermuda’s often overlooked role in one of the defining events in Atlantic history.

“By sharing new research, exchanging ideas and building connections across disciplines, we hope to foster new collaborations and deepen understanding of Bermuda's place within the wider Atlantic world.

“The conference is also an important platform for emerging scholars, providing opportunities to present original research and engage directly with leading academics in the field.”

Topics explored during the conference will include Bermuda’s political and economic relationships with North America during the revolutionary era; loyalism, patriotism and divided allegiances in Atlantic communities; the experiences of enslaved and free Black populations during the conflict; the role of Atlantic trade networks and maritime communities; revolutionary movements and imperial civil wars across the Caribbean; the contested historiography of the American Revolution; and the Revolution's enduring legacies in Bermuda and the Atlantic World.

For more information or to register, visit the museum’s website.