Before Wyoming: The West in 1776

Event Information

Date: Jul 22, 2026

Time: 7:00pm - 8:00pm

Address: The Buffalo Theater, 235 South Main Street Buffalo, WY 82834

Website: Visit Website

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 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.