The Story of Virginia: The Arrival of the First Africans
In this lecture, historian and author Ric Murphy tells the fascinating story of the arrival of the first Africans in Virginia in 1619.
George Washington: The Making of a Leader
In this lecture, historian David O. Stewart discusses his new book, George Washington: The Political Rise of America’s Founding Father.
A New Era in Building: Black Educational Activism in Goochland County, 1911–1932
Join historians Brian Daugherity and Alyce Miller for a lecture about Black educational activism in Goochland County in the early twentieth century.
The Record of Murders and Outrages: Racial Violence and the Fight over Truth during Reconstruction
On February 10, 2022, historian William Blair delivered a lecture about the early Reconstruction era effort by Freedmen’s Bureau officers to document that Black Americans faced little justice for atrocities committed against them.
American Democracy
Examining our government’s founding and the continuing story of America’s bold experiment in a government “of, by, and for the people," American Democracy comes to life through Smithsonian collection artifacts, contemporary objects, and touchable artifacts.