The search results below contain listings from our website. To search our library and museum collections catalogs, please visit the Collections page.
The Notorious History of the Virginia State Penitentiary
On November 6, 2019, Dale M. Brumfield delivered a Banner Lecture, “The Notorious History of the Virginia State Penitentiary.”
In 1796, the Virginia...
The Old Bay Line—1840 to 1962
On November 3, 2022, author Jack Shaum lectured on the subject of his newest book, 122 Years on the Old Bay Line.
Old Bay Line is the name by which...
The Paradoxical Emancipator: Abraham Lincoln and the Other Thirteenth Amendment
On September 22 at noon, Daniel W. Crofts delivered a Banner Lecture entitled "The Paradoxical Emancipator: Abraham Lincoln and the Other Thirteenth...
The Presidents vs the Press (Wilkinson Lecture 2020)
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"
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 Rarefied Life of George Washington Parke Custis
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 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...
The Roads from War to Reconstruction and Beyond
On June 22, Edward L. Ayers spoke with Paul Levengood in a Banner Lecture entitled “The Roads from War to Reconstruction and Beyond.”
Reconstruction...
The Significance and Symbolism of the Judicial Robe
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...
Thomas Jefferson, Revered and Reviled
On December 1, Robert M. S. McDonald delivered a Banner Lecture entitled “Thomas Jefferson, Revered and Reviled.”
Of all the founding fathers, Thomas...
To Bind Up the Nation’s Wounds: An Overview of the Thirteenth Amendment
On April 14, 2012, Lauranett Lee, former curator of African American history at the VHS, delivered a lecture entitled "To Bind Up the Nation’s Wounds...
Unionists in Virginia: Politics, Secession, and Their Plan to Prevent Civil War
On October 29 at noon, Larry Denton will delivered a Banner Lecture entitled "Unionists in Virginia: Politics, Secession, and Their Plan to Prevent...
Untold Power: The Fascinating Rise and Complex Legacy of First Lady Edith Wilson
On March 7, 2024, biographer Rebecca Boggs Roberts provided an unflinching look at First Lady Edith Bolling Galt Wilson.
While this nation has yet to...
Virginia Waterways and the Underground Railroad
Enslaved Virginians sought freedom from the time they were first brought to the Jamestown colony in 1619. Acts of self-emancipation were aided by...
What Caused the Civil War
This video looks at the question "What Caused the Civil War." The video specifically looks at differences between the North and South and the outbreak...
Why Did the Civil War Happen?
William Cabell Rives: A Country to Serve
On September 3 at noon, Barclay Rives delivered a Banner Lecture entitled “William Cabell Rives: A Country to Serve.”
Defying the president and...
Without Precedent: The Invention of Chief Justice John Marshall
As a statesman, diplomat, secretary of state, and chief justice, no one in the founding generation had a more enduring impact on our country’s...
Year of Meteors: Stephen Douglas, Abraham Lincoln, and the Election that Brought on the Civil War
On March 24, 2011, Douglas R. Egerton delivered a Banner Lecture entitled "Year of Meteors: Stephen Douglas, Abraham Lincoln, and the Election that...