Art and the American Revolution

How did art shape Americans' perceptions of the American Revolution? Explore how artists depicted the American Revolution, in South Carolina and elsewhere. Works of art created during and after the war enabled Americans (first as colonists, then as citizens of a new country) to picture the stories and heroes of the fight for independence. How was the war remembered 50 and 75 years later as the nation headed towards Civil War?Elizabeth Chew became CEO of the South Carolina Historical Society in January 2024, leading a statewide organization that collects and shares the stories of all South Carolinians. A historian, curator, and educator, she has worked at museums and historic sites for over 30 yearsPrior to arriving in Charleston, she served as Executive Vice President and Chief Curator at James Madison’s Montpelier in Virginia. During her 8 ½ years there, Dr. Chew led teams of curators, historians, and educators to research and interpret James Madison and his family, his role in framing the U.S. Constitution, and the community of enslaved people on the plantation.Earlier in her career, she served as Curator at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello in Charlottesville, VA. During her thirteen-year tenure there, she was responsible for ongoing research and interpretation initiatives that wove together the Monticello house, its collections, Jefferson and his family, and the enslaved community.Elizabeth received a BA from Yale University, a master’s from the University of London, and a PhD from UNC- Chapel Hill.