Premiere Screening of Before Wyoming: The West in 1776

Before Wyoming: The West in 1776 expands the story of the American Revolution beyond the eastern colonies to the vast interior of the continent. It explores the Northern Rockies and Great Plains as a living, dynamic world shaped by thriving Indigenous nations, shifting alliances, and the early arrival of horses, firearms, disease, and trade.

Through historians, archaeologists, Native knowledge holders, and young people from the region, the film connects landscapes, artifacts, oral histories, and contemporary perspectives to reveal a hidden chapter of American history. Set against the nation’s 250th anniversary, it offers a fresh and meaningful look at what was happening in the West when the United States was just beginning.

This screening is in partnership with Wyoming PBS and Caldera Productions, and is part of the By The People: Conversations Beyond 250 initiative.

By the People: Conversations Beyond 250 is a series of community-driven programs created by humanities councils across the United States, its territories, and the District of Columbia in collaboration with local partners. Together, these programs explore 250 years of the nation’s cultural life and imagine its shared future. The initiative was developed by the Federation of State Humanities Councils and the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage as a complement to the 2026 Smithsonian Folklife Festival.