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The Notorious History of the Virginia State Penitentiary
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On November 6, 2019, Dale M. Brumfield delivered a Banner Lecture, “The Notorious History of the Virginia State Penitentiary.”
In 1796, the Virginia...
The Permanent Resident: Excavations and Explorations of George Washington’s Life
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On October 13, 2022, Dr. Philip Levy gave a fascinating lecture on the principal archaeological sites associated with George Washington and what they...
The Presidents vs the Press (Wilkinson Lecture 2020)
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Since America’s first president began the very first presidential feud with the press, American chief executives have been engaged in an endless...
The Private Jefferson: "Most Blessed of the Patriarchs"
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On January 5 at noon, Peter Onuf delivered a Banner Lecture entitled “The Private Jefferson: 'Most Blessed of the Patriarchs.'”
"Most Blessed of the...
The Property of the Nation: George Washington's Tomb, Mount Vernon, and the Memory of the First President
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On December 10, 2019, Matthew Costello delivered the Banner Lecture, “The Property of the Nation: George Washington’s Tomb, Mount Vernon, and the...
The Rarefied Life of George Washington Parke Custis
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George Washington Parke Custis was raised at Mount Vernon by George and Martha Washington. Young “Wash” appears in Edward Savage's 1789 painting of...
The Shipwreck That Saved Jamestown: The Sea Venture Castaways and the Fate of America
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On April 16, 2009, Lorri Glover delivered a Banner Lecture entitled “The Shipwreck That Saved Jamestown: The Sea Venture Castaways and the Fate of...
The Significance and Symbolism of the Judicial Robe
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Why do American judges wear black robes? And what does it mean in our modern court system? Hear what Supreme Court Justices Elena Kagan and Clarence...
The Story of Virginia: The Arrival of the First Africans
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In this lecture, historian and author Ric Murphy tells the fascinating story of the arrival of the first Africans in Virginia in 1619.
Based on his...
The Strange Genius of Mr. O: The World of the United States’ First Forgotten Celebrity
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On July 15, 2021, historian Carolyn Eastman delivered a Banner Lecture examining the career of James Ogilvie, a now-forgotten celebrity of the very...
“The United States of Virginia”: Jefferson’s Invention of America through a Virginian Lens
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On October 13, 2022, historian Robert Pierce Forbes took a fascinating look at Thomas Jefferson’s Notes on the State of Virginia.
When Thomas...
The Virginia Venture: American Colonization and English Society, 1580-1660
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On June 22, 2023, Misha Ewen presented a fascinating virtual discussion of her new book, The Virginia Venture: American Colonization and English...
The Wild Vine: A Forgotten Grape and the Untold Story of American Wine By Todd Kliman
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Vineyards and wine making have become all-American success stories in recent years, especially in Virginia. In his book, The Wild Vine, author Todd...
Thomas Jefferson’s Enlightenment—Paris, 1785
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On September 11 at noon, James C. Thompson delivered a Banner Lecture entitled "Thomas Jefferson’s Enlightenment—Paris, 1785."
In the summer of 1784...
Thomas Jefferson, Revered and Reviled
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On December 1, Robert M. S. McDonald delivered a Banner Lecture entitled “Thomas Jefferson, Revered and Reviled.”
Of all the founding fathers, Thomas...
Tobacco, Mosquito, Slave: Colonial Virginia and the Dawn of Globalization By Charles C. Mann
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On April 10, 2008, Charles C. Mann delivered the 2008 Stuart G. Christian, Jr., Trustees Lecture entitled “Tobacco, Mosquito, Slave: Colonial Virginia...
Travels with George: In Search of Washington and His Legacy (Wilkinson Lecture 2021)
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On October 20, 2021, bestselling author Nathaniel Philbrick delivered the 2021 J. Harvie Wilkinson, Jr. Lecture based on his newest book, Travels with...
Turning Fact into Fiction: Writing Fiction about the Richmond Theater Fire
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On May 11, 2023, Rachel Beanland gave a lecture on the historical research behind her novel about the Richmond Theater Fire, The House is On Fire...
Twilight at Monticello: The Final Years of Thomas Jefferson By Alan Pell Crawford
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Thomas Jefferson returned to Monticello in 1809 at the end of his second presidential term and died there seventeen years later. In his new book, Alan...
Virginian Honor: The Ethics of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson
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On September 6, 2018, Craig Bruce Smith delivered the banner lecture, “Virginian Honor: The Ethics of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson.”
Despit...