In time for the 250th anniversary of the United States, a new documentary film lets you experience life in the West—including the land that would eventually become the state of Wyoming—at the time of the Revolutionary War.
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.
Before Wyoming will be screened freely for the public in the Lander Library’s Carnegie Room on Friday, July 31 at 6:00 p.m. A Q&A with director Geoff O’Gara and producer Lynette St. Clair will follow the screening.
This post is sponsored by a generous grant from the Fremont County Library Foundation.