War, Maps, Mystery: Dutch Mapmaker Bernard Romans and the American Revolution

The story of the American Revolution includes thousands of Patriots who played small and large roles in the quest for independence. Bernard Romans, a Dutch mapmaker who came to America as a 16-year-old working for the British, is one such figure who had a real impact on the outcome of the war. Romans explored the colonies from New York to Florida and as far south as Cuba and present-day Colombia and established personal and professional relationships with American Patriots, particularly engravers and printers, including Paul Revere, James Rivington, and New Haven’s Amos Doolittle and Abel Buell. His original maps – which were used by George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, and even Benedict Arnold – are featured in a traveling exhibition, organized by The Connecticut Historical Society.

War, Maps, Mystery: Dutch Mapmaker Bernard Romans and the American Revolution will be on view at the Fairfield Museum from April 1 to July 9, 2023.