Before Wyoming: The West in 1776 free screening

Before Wyoming: The West in 1776 enlarges the narrative of 1776 America, looking beyond the eastern seaboard to the vast interior of the continent, where another story of dramatic upheaval was unfolding. The film explores the overlooked history of the American West during the Revolutionary era: a time when this vast region between the coasts was little more than a dreamscape for European and American expansion, sight unseen. Far from empty, these lands were home to thriving Indigenous nations with complex political systems, economies, spiritual traditions, and artistic practices, recorded in Winter Counts, hide paintings, and oral histories passed down through generations.

By the People: Conversations Beyond 250 is a series of community-driven programs created by humanities councils in collaboration with local partners. The initiative was developed by the Federation of State Humanities Councils and the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage.

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