A Fire in the Wilderness: The First Battle Between Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee
On August 19, 2021, historian John Reeves discussed the Battle of the Wilderness, the first clash between Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee.
The Strange Genius of Mr. O: The World of the United States’ First Forgotten Celebrity
On July 15, 2021, historian Carolyn Eastman delivered a Banner Lecture examining the career of James Ogilvie, a now-forgotten celebrity of the very early nineteenth century, and what it tells us about the intersection of political culture and celebrity—at a moment when the United States was in the midst of invention.
Surviving Southampton: Finding Women in Nat Turner’s Community
On June 24, 2021, historian Vanessa Holden delivered a Banner Lecture about her new book about how women contributed to America’s most famous slave rebellion, often called Nat Turner’s Rebellion.
President Without a Party
On May 20, 2021, J. Leahy presented a banner lecture on how John Tyler messed up on being president.
Robert E. Lee and Me: A Southerner’s Reckoning with the Myth of the Lost Cause
On May 5, 2021, Ty Seidule showcased why some of this country’s oldest wounds have never healed.
Death and Rebirth in a Southern City: Richmond's Historic Cemeteries
On April 8, 2021, Ryan K. Smith presented an exploration of the history and recovery of the burial grounds of Richmond, Virginia, through the lens of race.
Rebellious Passage: The Creole Revolt and America's Coastal Slave Trade
On March 18, 2021, Jeffrey R. Kerr-Ritchie presented the Banner Lecture "Rebellious Passage" about the first comprehensive history of the ship revolt, its consequences, and its relevance to global modern slavery.
The Story of Virginia: The Arrival of the First Africans
On February 11, 2021, historian Ric Murphy told the fascinating story of the arrival of the first Africans in Virginia in 1619. Based on his book, Arrival of the First Africans in Virginia, author Ric Murphy will discuss how in 1619, a group of thirty-two African men, women, and children arrived on the shores of Virginia. He will explore how and why they had been kidnapped in the royal city of Kabasa, Angola, and forced aboard the Spanish slave ship San Juan Bautista.
The Lost Colony was Never Lost!
On January 14, 2021, author and historian Scott Dawson delivered a lecture about the true history of the Lost Colony. Scott Dawson has participated in ten years of archaeological digs on Hatteras Island, where it was discovered that the infamous Lost Colony assimilated with the local Croatoan Indians. The true history has been buried under a mountain of mythology and lies. Learn the real story and what was discovered in the Croatoan Indian Village.