"Before Wyoming" Film & Discussion

About this event

Join us on Wednesday, November 18 at 6 PM for a special screening of "Before Wyoming," a film about the impacts of the people, cultures, and conflicts that impacted the American Revolution that existed outside of the eastern colonies. Following the film there will be a discussion with Tom Rea, Editor and Co-Founder, with the Wyoming State Historical Society, of WyoHistory.org, and a filmmaker from Caldera Productions. While the history of 1776 is often told through the events of the American Revolution on the East Coast, "Before Wyoming: The West in 1776" explores what was happening across the Northern Rockies and Great Plains during this pivotal time. Long before westward expansion, Indigenous nations inhabited and shaped a region not yet explored or recognized by the colonies. Discover how horses, trade, disease, and cultural changes were already transforming life in the American West. Tom Rea is a Casper resident who worked in the newspaper industry for many years, and co-founded the Wyoming State Historical Society, of WyoHistory.org. He has published multiple books on Wyoming history, including "Bone Wars: The Excavation and Celebrity of Andrew Carnegie's Dinosaur," "The Hole in the Wall Ranch: A History," and "Devil's Gate: Owning the Land, Owning the Story." This screening is presented by Caldera Productions, Wyoming PBS, and Wyoming Humanities, with support from Wyoming's Semiquincentennial Celebration and the By the People: Conversations Beyond 250 initiative (Federation of State Humanities Councils). 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.