http://www.vahistorical.org Virginia Historical Society News and Events Virginia History http://www.vahistorical.org/img/news/building2.jpg http://www.vahistorical.org en-us http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_atkinson.htm On May 23, 2013, Rick Atkinson delivered the 2013 Stuart G. Christian, Jr., Lecture entitled "The Guns at Last Light: The War in Western Europe, 1944-1945." The Stuart G. Christian, Jr., Lecture was named in honor of the former president of the VHS and takes place in the spring. Because "Punky" Christian was a decorated veteran of the Normandy Campaign, we have focused the series on topics from the era of World War II. Previous speakers have included Elizabeth and Michael Norman, Robert Edsel, and Mitchell Zuckoff. (Introduction by Paul Levengood) Fri, 31 May 2013 14:58:00 EST http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_atkinson.htm http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_deutsch.htm On May 16, 2013, Stephanie Deutsch delivered a Banner Lecture entitled "Booker T. Washington, Julius Rosenwald, and the Building of Schools for the Segregated South." Booker T. Washington, the founder of Tuskegee Institute, and Julius Rosenwald, the president of Sears, Roebuck, and Company, first met in 1911. By charting the lives of these two men both before and after the meeting, Stephanie Deutsch offers a fascinating glimpse into the partnership that would bring thousands of modern schoolhouses to African American communities in the rural South. By the time segregation ended, the "Rosenwald Schools" that sprang from this unlikely partnership were educating one third of the South’s African American children. Deutsch, a writer and critic living in Washington, D.C., is the author of "You Need a Schoolhouse: Booker T. Washington, Julius Rosenwald, and the Building of Schools for the Segregated South." (Introduction by Paul Levengood) Thu, 30 May 2013 16:00:00 EST http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_deutsch.htm http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_oleary.htm On April 18, 2013, Elizabeth O'Leary delivered a Banner Lecture entitled "Winslow Homer's Virginia." When his paintings were exhibited in 1866, artist Winslow Homer gained critical acclaim for picturing "what he has seen and known." Afterward, this reputation for objectivity helped bolster the celebrated artist's long and prosperous career. Focusing on Homer's representations of Virginia during the Civil War and post-Reconstruction era, Elizabeth O'Leary examines the more subjective aspects - political, cultural, and personal - that informed his creation of some of the most enduring images of nineteenth-century America. An art historian who resides in Richmond, O'Leary is the former associate curator of American art at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. (Introduction by Paul Levengood) Thu, 30 May 2013 15:16:00 EST http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_oleary.htm http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_trani2.htm On March 28, 2013, Eugene P. Trani delivered a Banner Lecture entitled "The Reporter Who Knew Too Much: Harrison Salisbury." During his career at the New York Times, Harrison Salisbury served as the bureau chief in post–World War II Moscow, reported from Hanoi during the Vietnam War, and in retirement he witnessed the Tiananmen Square massacre firsthand. In a new biography of the two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, Eugene P. Trani and Donald E. Davis make use of Salisbury's personal archive of interviews, articles, and correspondence to shed light on the personal triumphs and shortcomings of this preeminent reporter and illuminate the world in which he lived. Doctor Trani is President Emeritus and University Distinguished Professor at Virginia Commonwealth University and the author, with Davis, of The Reporter Who Knew Too Much: Harrison Salisbury and the New York Times. (Introduction by Paul Levengood) Thu, 30 May 2013 15:20:00 EST http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_trani2.htm http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_broadwater.htm On March 7, 2013, Jeff Broadwater delivered a Banner Lecture entitled "Why Washington Burned and How the President Survived: James Madison and the War of 1812." In his recent biography of the fourth president, Broadwater focuses on James Madison's role in the battle for religious freedom in Virginia, his contributions to the adoption of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, his place in the evolution of the party system, his views on slavery, and his relationship with Dolley Madison. In this lecture, Broadwater will shed light on Madison’s performance as a wartime commander in chief and reveal how the unlikely wartime leader survived repeated setbacks in the War of 1812 with his popularity intact. Jeff Broadwater is a professor of history at Barton College. (Introduction by Paul Levengood) This lecture was cosponsored with the War of 1812 Commission and the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Commission. Mon, 18 Feb 2013 15:52:00 EST http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_broadwater.htm http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_wiencek.htm On February 7, 2013, Henry Wiencek delivered a Banner Lecture entitled "Master of the Mountain: Thomas Jefferson and His Slaves." Is there anything new to say about Thomas Jefferson and slavery? The answer is a resounding yes. Master of the Mountain, Henry Wiencek's eloquent, persuasive book--based on new information coming from archaeological work at Monticello and on previously overlooked or disregarded evidence in Jefferson's papers--opens up a huge, poorly understood dimension of Jefferson's world. Wiencek's Jefferson is a man of business and public affairs who makes a success of his debt-ridden plantation thanks to what he calls the "silent profits" gained from his slaves--and thanks to a moral universe that he and thousands of others readily inhabited. Henry Weincek, a nationally prominent historian and writer, lives in Charlottesville.(Introduction by Paul Levengood) Wed, 13 Feb 2013 16:06:00 EST http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_wiencek.htm http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_jackson.htm On January 31, 2013, Lawrence Jackson delivered a Banner Lecture entitled "My Father's Name: A Black Virginia Family after the Civil War." Part history and part detective story, My Father's Name is a moving narrative full of the mixture of anguish and fulfillment that accompanies any search into the history of slavery. In this intimate study of a black Virginia family and neighborhood, Lawrence Jackson vividly reconstructs moments in the lives of his father's grandfather, Edward Jackson, and great-grandfather, Granville Hundley. In the process the author brings to life stories of the people of Pittsylvania County during and immediately after slavery. Lawrence Jackson teaches in the English department at Emory University. (Introduction by Paul Levengood) Mon, 11 Feb 2013 11:56:00 EST http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_jackson.htm http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_kierner.htm On January 17, 2013, Cynthia A. Kierner delivered a Banner Lecture entitled "Martha Jefferson Randolph, Daughter of Monticello." As the oldest and favorite daughter of Thomas Jefferson, Martha "Patsy" Jefferson Randolph was extremely well educated, traveled in the circles of presidents and aristocrats, and was known on two continents for her particular grace and sincerity. Yet, as mistress of a large household, she was not spared the tedium, frustration, and great sorrow that most women of her time faced. Though Patsy's name is familiar because of her famous father, Cynthia Kierner is the first historian to place Patsy at the center of her own story, taking readers into the largely ignored private spaces of the founding era. Kierner is professor of history and director of the Ph.D. program in history and art history at George Mason University. (Introduction by Paul Levengood and Nicole McMullin) Tue, 29 Jan 2013 15:34:00 EST http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_kierner.htm http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_baker.htm On December 6, 2012, Meredith Henne Baker delivered a Banner Lecture entitled "The 1811 Richmond Theater Fire." On the day after Christmas in 1811, the state of Virginia lost its governor and almost one hundred citizens in a devastating nighttime fire that consumed a Richmond playhouse. The tragic Richmond Theater fire would inspire a national commemoration and become its generation's defining disaster. In "The Richmond Theater Fire," the first book about the event and its aftermath, Meredith Henne Baker explores a forgotten catastrophe and its wide societal impact. The story of transformation comes alive through survivor accounts of slaves, actresses, ministers, and statesmen. Investigating private letters, diaries, and sermons, among other rare or unpublished documents, Baker views the event and its outcomes through the fascinating lenses of early nineteenth-century theater, architecture, and faith and reveals a rich and vital untold story from America's past. Meredith Henne Baker, an independent scholar, lives in Washington, D.C. (Introduction by Paul Levengood) Tue, 11 Dec 2012 11:19:00 EST http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_baker.htm http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_wurtzel.htm On November 29, 2012, Alan Wurtzel discussed his book "Good to Great to Gone: The 60 Year Rise and Fall of Circuit City." Not many years ago, Circuit City stood out as perhaps the premier name in the highly competitive sector of consumer electronics and a prominent corporate presence in Virginia. No longer. The author of "Good to Great to Gone" is uniquely placed to relate this story. Alan Wurtzel was the creator and first chief executive officer of the company. His newly published account gives the inside perspective, as only the CEO can provide, on the company's spectacular rise and fall. The book is a complement to the documentary, "A Tale of Two Cities: The Circuit City Story." (Introduction by Paul Levengood and Gregory J. Gilligan) Mon, 10 Dec 2012 16:33:00 EST http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_wurtzel.htm http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_okrent.htm On November 14, Daniel Okrent delivered the 2012 Alexander W. Weddell Lecture entitled "Last Call: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition." The first annual Alexander W. Weddell Lecture took place in 1983 and was named in honor of Alexander Weddell, former president of the VHS. Ambassador Weddell and his wife, Virginia, bequeathed Virginia House and a generous endowment to the VHS. The Weddell Lecture takes place on the evening of the last board of trustees meeting of the year, usually the third Wednesday in November. Past Weddell Lecturers have included Gary W. Gallagher, Edward L. Ayers, Rick Atkinson, and Tony Horwitz. (Introduction by Paul Levengood) Mon, 10 Dec 2012 16:07:00 EST http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_okrent.htm http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_nelson_deadbeats.htm On November 8, 2012, Scott Reynolds Nelson delivered a Banner Lecture entitled "A Nation of Deadbeats: An Uncommon History of America's Financial Disasters." Pundits will argue that the 2008 financial crisis was the first crash in American history driven by consumer debt. But Scott Nelson demonstrates in his new book, "A Nation of Deadbeats: An Uncommon History of America's Financial Disasters," that consumer debt has underpinned almost every major financial panic in the nation’s history. In each case, the chain of banks, brokers, moneylenders, and insurance companies that separated borrowers and lenders made it impossible to distinguish good loans from bad. Bound up in this history are stories of national banks funded by smugglers, fistfights in Congress over the gold standard, America's early dependence on British bankers, and how presidential campaigns were forged in controversies over private debt. Scott Reynolds Nelson is the Leslie and Naomi Legum Professor of History at the College of William and Mary.(Introduction by Paul Levengood) Tue, 4 Dec 2012 14:33:00 EST http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_nelson_deadbeats.htm http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_brown.htm On October 25, 2012, David Brown delivered a Banner Lecture entitled "Unlocking Menokin’s Secrets: Archaeological and Landscape Research at a Northern Neck Plantation." One of the great houses to survive from colonial Virginia, Menokin was the result of a unique collaboration between John Tayloe II of Mount Airy and Francis Lightfoot Lee, the husband of his daughter Rebecca. Tayloe gave Lee a life interest in 1,000 acres of his vast Richmond County estate and, as a wedding present, built the plantation house and surrounding structures. Though scant written records remain, other clues offer insight into this adaptation of European design to the environment of eastern Virginia. David Brown with DATA Investigations will discuss recent archaeological and landscape research conducted at the site. Brown is a consulting archaeologist for The Menokin Foundation. This lecture is cosponsored by the foundation, which owns and operates the home of Francis Lightfoot Lee, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, and his wife Rebecca Tayloe Lee. (Introduction by Paul Levengood and Sarah Dillard Pope) Wed, 7 Nov 2012 13:52:00 EST http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_brown.htm http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_coombs.htm On October 4, 2012, John C. Coombs delivered a Banner Lecture entitled "Planter Oligarchy on Virginia’s Northern Neck." The rise of a distinct class of affluent families to economic, social, and political dominance in Virginia during the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries is without doubt one of the most important developments in the Old Dominion's early history. As a group, however, the “gentry” were far from homogenous. John C. Coombs will draw on research for his forthcoming book "The Rise of Virginia Slavery" to discuss the foundations of power that were common across all ranks of the elite, as well as the circumstances that allowed the Carters, Lees, and Tayloes to achieve distinction as the colony's “first families.” Dr. Coombs is a professor of history at Hampden-Sydney College and coeditor of "Early Modern Virginia: Reconsidering the Old Dominion." This lecture is cosponsored by The Menokin Foundation, which owns and operates the Richmond County plantation home of Francis Lightfoot Lee, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, and his wife Rebecca Tayloe Lee. This lecture was cosponsored with The Menokin Foundation. (Introduction by Paul Levengood and Sarah Dillard Pope) Fri, 12 Oct 2012 14:09:00 EST http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_coombs.htm http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_downey.htm On September 13, 2012, Arthur T. Downey delivered a Banner Lecture entitled "Civil War Lawyers: Constitutional Questions and Courtroom Dramas." Lawyers dominated public life during the first third of American history, and many who were prominent during the Civil War era had tried cases with and against each other before the conflict. The key members of Lincoln's cabinet were all lawyers, as were many diplomatic appointees and the five men who tried to end the war at the Hampton Roads Peace Conference in February 1865. "Civil War Lawyers" is a book not just for lawyers. It examines the dramatic issues and courtroom theatrics that played their parts in the story of how the nation divided and went to war against itself. Arthur T. Downey has taught at Georgetown University Law Center and is a member of the bar of the District of Columbia.(Introduction by Paul Levengood) Thu, 27 Sept 2012 17:59:00 EST http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_downey.htm http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_wilkinson.htm On September 6, 2012, J. Harvie Wilkinson III delivered a Banner Lecture entitled "Cosmic Constitutional Theory: Why Americans Are Losing Their Inalienable Rights to Self-Governance." American constitutional law has undergone a transformation. Issues once left to the people have increasingly become the province of the courts. Subjects as diverse as abortion rights, firearms regulations, and health care reform are increasingly the domain of judges. What sparked this development? Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson III argues that America's most brilliant legal minds have launched a set of cosmic constitutional theories that, for all their value, are undermining self-governance. The loser in all the theoretical fireworks is the old and honorable tradition of judicial restraint, which has given way to competing schools of liberal and conservative activism—Living Constitutionalism, Originalism, Process Theory, or the supposedly anti-theoretical creed of Pragmatism. Wilkinson calls for a plainer, self-disciplined commitment to judicial restraint and democratic governance, a course that may be impossible as long as the cosmic constitutionalists continue to dominate legal thought. J. Harvie Wilkinson III is a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. (Introduction by Paul Levengood and Todd Culbertson) Fri, 7 Sept 2012 11:30:00 EST http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_wilkinson.htm http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_carveth.htm On August 2, 2012, Bruce G. Carveth delivered a Banner Lecture entitled "Edward Coles: Crusade Against Slavery." Edward Coles was a wealthy heir to a central Virginia plantation who left his family's Virginia tobacco plantation in 1819 and started the long trip west to Edwardsville, Illinois. He paused along the Ohio River on an emotional April morning to free his slaves and offer each family 160 acres of Illinois land of their own. Some continued to work for Coles, while others were left to find work for themselves. Coles later became the second governor of Illinois, the loyal personal secretary to President James Madison, and a close antislavery associate of Thomas Jefferson. In "Crusade Against Slavery," Bruce G. Carveth and his coauthor detail Coles's remarkable life story and his role in the struggle to free all slaves. Carveth is an independent writer and former editor. (Introduction by Paul Levengood) Mon, 13 Aug 2012 15:49:00 EST http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_carveth.htm http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_chipmann.htm On July 26, 2012, H. Edward "Chip" Mann delivered a Banner Lecture entitled "The Queen and the USA: Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee in America." Although the United States was born out of revolution against Great Britain, Americans have warmly greeted the reigning British monarch on each of her visits to this country. Queen Elizabeth II has made three state visits to the Commonwealth of Virginia. Each has rekindled appreciation of the common bonds between the United Kingdom and the United States: the rule of law, representative government, and economic freedom. The Queen and the USA was published to celebrate those ties on the occasion of Elizabeth II's diamond jubilee. With illustrations from his new book, H. Edward "Chip" Mann will describe the queen's special relationship with Virginia and all of America on the anniversary of her sixty years as queen of England. (Introduction by Paul Levengood and Daphne Maxwell Reid) Fri, 3 Aug 2012 16:28:00 EST http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_chipmann.htm http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_gallagher2.htm On July 11, 2012, Gary W. Gallagher delivered a Banner Lecture entitled "More Important Than Gettysburg: The Seven Days Campaign as a Turning Point". Ever since the Civil War ended, it has been a popular pastime to look for dramatic turning points in that conflict. For many, the battle of Gettysburg represents the great event that tipped the balance toward the North. Key political, diplomatic, social, and military issues, however, were at stake in the summer of 1862 as Robert E. Lee and George B. McClellan faced off in the Seven Days Battles. Gary W. Gallagher argues that Lee's victory had a profound effect on the conflict and that perhaps the series of battles waged on the Virginia Peninsula should be regarded as a major turning point of the war. Dr. Gallagher is a professor of history at the University of Virginia. His most recent book is "The Union War." This lecture is cosponsored with the Richmond National Battlefield Park and The American Civil War Center at Historic Tredegar. (Introduction by Paul Levengood and Dave Ruth) Mon, 30 July 2012 13:37:00 EST http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_gallagher2.htm http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_johnson2.htm On June 28, 2012, David Johnson delivered a Banner Lecture entitled "John Randolph of Roanoke." One of the most eccentric and accomplished politicians in all of American history, John Randolph of Roanoke led a life marked by controversy. The long-serving Virginia congressman and architect of southern conservatism grabbed headlines with his prescient comments, public brawls, and clashes with every president from John Adams to Andrew Jackson. The first biography of Randolph in nearly a century, "John Randolph of Roanoke" provides a full account of the powerful Virginia planter's hardcharging life and his influence on the formation of conservative politics. "John Randolph of Roanoke" tells the story of a young nation and the unique philosophy of a southern lawmaker who defended America's agrarian tradition and reveled in his own controversy. David Johnson is deputy attorney general for the state of Virginia and the author of a biography of Douglas Southall Freeman. (Introduction by Paul Levengood and Andrew Cain). Fri, 6 July 2012 16:41:00 EST http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_johnson2.htm http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_ayers.htm On June 19, 2012, Edward Ayers delivered a Banner Lecture entitled "The Civil War at a Crossroads: The Seven Days." In the spring of 1862, Virginia's civilians faced a different kind of war than they had the year before. Advancing Union armies now occupied large amounts of territory in western Virginia and in Tidewater, and their presence had a dramatic effect on local populations. Pro-Confederate white Virginians became refugees as they left their homes, and enslaved Virginians began to flee to the safety of Union lines. In this lecture, Edward L. Ayers analyzed the impact of the Civil War on Virginia's civilians up through the first half of 1862. He is president of the University of Richmond and the author of In the Presence of Mine Enemies: The Civil War in the Heart of America, 1859–1863. This lecture was cosponsored with the Richmond National Battlefield Park. (Introduction by Paul Levengood, Dave Ruth, and Cheryl Magazine) Thurs, 28 June 2012 17:01:00 EST http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_ayers.htm http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_mooney.htm On June 14, 2012, Patrick Mooney delivered a Banner Lecture entitled "The U.S. Marines at Belleau Wood, June 1918." In 1917 the German Empire won its war on the Eastern Front by imposing humiliating terms on Russia. It then mounted a giant spring offensive on the Western Front in 1918 to crush the weakened Allied armies. U.S. Marines of the American Expeditionary Force helped blunt the German thrust and turn the tide. The pivotal action took place in June at the battle of Belleau Wood, the bloodiest fighting involving American troops since the Civil War. Patrick Mooney will describe this dramatic chapter in Marine Corps history and America's participation in World War I. Mr. Mooney is visitor services chief at the National Museum of the Marine Corps. Introduction by Paul Levengood) Mon, 18 June 2012 17:08:00 EST http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_mooney.htm http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_fisher.htm On May 3, 2012, Terri Fisher delivered a lecture entitled "Lost Communities of Virginia". Virginia's back roads and rural areas are dotted with traces of once-thriving communities. General stores, train depots, schools, churches, banks, and post offices provide intriguing details of a way of life now gone. Lost Communities of Virginia documents thirty small communities from throughout the commonwealth that have lost their original industry, transportation mode, or way of life. Using contemporary photographs, maps, and excerpts of interviews with longtime residents of these communities, the book documents the present conditions, recalls past boom times, and explains the role of each community in regional settlement. Terri Fisher is outreach and programs coordinator at the Community Design Assistance Center at Virginia Tech and executive director of the Giles County Historical Society. (Introduction by Paul Levengood) Mon, 7 May 2012 15:36:00 EST http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_fisher.htm http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_lee_ayers.htm On April 14, 2012, Dr. Lauranett delivered a lecture entitled "To Bind Up the Nation’s Wounds: An Overview of the Thirteenth Amendment". This talk highlighting the historical significance of the document. Other speakers during the lecture included Edward Ayers and Senator Henry Marsh. (Introduction by Edward Ayers and Senator Henry Marsh) Mon, 30 Apr 2012 12:33:00 EST http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_lee_ayers.htm http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_titus.htm On April 12, 2012, Jill Titus delivered a lecture entitled "Brown's Battleground in Prince Edward County, Virginia". When the U.S. Supreme Court handed down its decision in Brown v. Board of Education in 1954, Prince Edward County abolished its public school system rather than integrate. In her new book, Brown's Battleground: Students, Segregationists, and the Struggle for Justice in Prince Edward County, Virginia, Jill Titus situates the crisis in Prince Edward County within the seismic changes brought by Brown and Virginia's decision to resist desegregation. She reveals the ways that ordinary people, black and white, battled, and continue to battle, over the role of public education in the United States. Dr. Titus is associate director of the C. V. Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience at Washington College in Chestertown, Maryland. (Introduction by Paul Levengood) Tue, 24 Apr 2012 9:16:00 EST http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_titus.htm http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_zuckoff.htm On April 5, 2012, Mitchell Zuckoff delivered the 2012 Stuart G. Christian, Jr., Lecture entitled "Lost in Shangri-La: A Story of Survival and Rescue during World War II." The Stuart G. Christian, Jr., Lecture was named in honor of the former president of the VHS (1989–91). Near the end of World War II, a plane carrying twenty-four members of the United States military, including nine Women’s Army Corps members, crashed into the New Guinea jungle. Three survivors were stranded deep in a jungle valley inhabited by cannibals. The story of their survival and the efforts undertaken to save them are the crux of Lost in Shangri-La. A riveting story of deliverance under the most unlikely circumstances, Mitchell Zuckoff’s book deserves its place among the great survival stories of World War II. Zuckoff teaches journalism at Boston University. (Introduction by Paul Levengood) Mon, 16 Apr 2012 12:29:00 EST http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_zuckoff.htm http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_black.htm On March 28, 2012, Jeremy Black delivered a lecture entitled Fighting for America: The Struggle for Mastery in North America, 1519–1871. In his latest book, prize-winning author Jeremy Black traces the competition for control of North America from the landing in 1519 of Spanish troops in what became Mexico to 1871 when, with the Treaty of Washington, Britain accepted American mastery in North America. The story Black tells is one of conflict, diplomacy, and geopolitics. The eventual result was the creation of a United States of America that stretched from Atlantic to Pacific and dominated the continent. The gradual withdrawal of France and Spain, the British accommodation to the expanding U.S. reality, the impact of the American Civil War, and the subjugation of native peoples are all carefully drawn out. Jeremy Black teaches history at Exeter University in the United Kingdom. This lecture is cosponsored with the Society of Colonial Wars in the State of Virginia. (Introduction by Nicole McMullin) Tue, 10 Apr 2012 13:45:00 EST http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_black.htm http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_rountree.htm On March 16, 2012, Helen C. Rountree delivered a lecture entitled "Before It Was Virginia: Setting the Stage." When English settlers arrived here 400 years ago, they encountered the first Virginians, the most famous of whom are the subjects of Helen C. Rountree's book, Pocahontas, Powhatan, and Opechancanough: Three Indian Lives Changed by Jamestown. Today's presentation is the keynote address of "From the Earth: The Environment in Virginia's Past and Future," a free day-long conference on the historical relationship between Virginia's environment and its people. The conference is made possible by a generous grant from the Virginia Environmental Endowment. Dr. Rountree is professor emerita of anthropology at Old Dominion University. She now concentrates full time on writing and speaking about early Virginia Indians, as well as consulting with the Virginia Council on Indians and on tribal recognition. (Introduction by Gerald P. McCarthy) Wed, 28 Mar 2012 17:06:00 EST http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_rountree.htm http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_stewart.htm On March 15, 2012, David O. Stewart delivered a lecture entitled "American Emperor: Aaron Burr's Challenge to Jefferson's America." A canny and charismatic politician who rose to become third vice president of the new United States, Aaron Burr seemed to throw it all away in 1805 and 1806 in an extraordinary attempt to lead a secession of the American West. American Emperor by acclaimed author David O. Stewart traces Burr from the threshold of the presidency in the contested election of 1800, through his duel with Alexander Hamilton, and then across the American West as he schemed with foreign ambassadors, the traitorous general-in-chief of the army, and future presidents, including Andrew Jackson. His immense ambition was matched by his undisguised contempt for Thomas Jefferson, a president he thought ineffective and unwise. The indecisive Jefferson finally had Burr arrested and charged with treason. Burr led his own legal defense in an historic treason trial in Richmond before Chief Justice John Marshall, winning an acquittal and freedom. Mr. Stewart is an attorney who practices law in Washington, D.C.(Introduction by Paul Levengood) Wed, 28 Mar 2012 16:38:00 EST http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_stewart.htm http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_roberts.htm On February 23, 2012, Samuel K. Roberts delivered a lecture entitled "When the Sun Stood Still: Reflections on the Reverend John Jasper in His Bicentennial Year." Among the larger than life personages in Richmond during the latter years of the nineteenth century is to be counted the pastor of Jackson Ward’s Sixth Mount Zion Baptist Church, the Rev. John Jasper. He was born a slave in the second decade of the century, and his mark on Richmond's popular consciousness lasts even to the present. In large measure, this is because of a sermon he first preached in 1878, "The Sun Do Move and the Earth Am Square." Hailed by some and vilified by others, Jasper's sermon seemed to defy modern notions of astronomy. Yet, he was asked to preach it more than 250 times, including before the General Assembly, before his death in 1901. Reflections on this enigmatic character will explore the context in which his audiences heard him, as well as that of our own. Samuel K. Roberts is the Anne Borden and E. Hervey Evans Professor of Theology and Ethics at Union Presbyterian Seminary. This lecture is cosponsored with Sixth Mount Zion Baptist Church.(Introduction by Paul Levengood) Fri, 03 Mar 2012 15:53:00 EST http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_roberts.htm http://vahistorical.wordpress.com/2012/02/14/a-love-story/ "I want to talk business and tell you of a new organization in which I have invested my all…the Alex and Virginia Company." Read a touching tribute to Alexander and Virginia Weddell, the original owners of Virginia House, in our latest blog written by Kathryn Campbell. Tue, 14 Feb 2012 16:47:00 EST http://vahistorical.wordpress.com/2012/02/14/a-love-story/ http://www.vahistorical.org/news/gallery_walks.htm Come join us this week for a Gallery Walk at the VHS with Dr. Lauranett Lee, Curator of African American History. Dr. Lee will give a gallery walk on "Slavery in Virginia" at noon on Wednesday, February 15, 2012. Dr. Lee will also give a gallery walk on "The Civil Rights Movement in Virginia" at 6 p.m. on Thursday, February 16, 2012. Tue, 14 Feb 2012 12:47:00 EST http://www.vahistorical.org/news/gallery_walks.htm http://edition.cnn.com/2012/02/05/us/virginia-slaves/index.html President and CEO Paul Levengood was recently interviewed about the Unknown No Longer database and upcoming workshops. Check out a new article written about the project. Mon, 6 Feb 2012 17:47:00 EST http://edition.cnn.com/2012/02/05/us/virginia-slaves/index.html http://edition.cnn.com/2012/02/05/us/virginia-slaves/index.html President and CEO Paul Levengood was recently interviewed about the Unknown No Longer database and upcoming workshops. Check out a new article written about the project. Mon, 6 Feb 2012 17:47:00 EST http://edition.cnn.com/2012/02/05/us/virginia-slaves/index.html http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_mcinnes.htm On January 26, 2012, Maurie D. McInnis delivered a lecture entitled "Abolitionist Art and the American Slave Trade."In 1853 Eyre Crowe, a young British artist, visited a slave auction in Richmond and captured the scene in sketches that he later developed into a series of illustrations and paintings, including the culminating work, "Slaves Waiting for Sale, Richmond, Virginia." In her new book, "Slaves Waiting for Sale: Abolitionist Art and the American Slave Trade," Maurie D. McInnis uses Crowe's paintings to explore the trade in Richmond, Charleston, and New Orleans. Through that exploration, which her illustrated lecture will present, she describes the evolving iconography of abolitionist art and the role of visual culture in the transatlantic world of abolitionism. Professor McInnis teaches in the department of art at the University of Virginia. (Introduction by Cheryl Magazine) Mon, 30 Jan 2012 09:47:00 EST http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_mcinnes.htm http://www.vahistorical.org/news/unlworkshop.htm Attend a workshop to learn how to use Unknown No Longer: A Virginia Slave Name Database. This free database is the latest step by the Virginia Historical Society to increase access to its varied collections relating to Virginians of African descent. Dr. Lauranett Lee, Curator of African American History, and Paige Newman, Assistant Archivist, will highlight some of their research findings and provide tips on how to navigate the database. Workshops are free and open to the public. Reservations are required and space is limited. Thu, 25 Jan 2012 15:47:00 EST http://www.vahistorical.org/news/unlworkshop.htm http://www.vahistorical.org/news/veeconf.htm From the Earth: The Environment in Virginia's Past and Future is a FREE, day-long conference focusing on the historical relationship between Virginia's environment and its people. The event will take place at the Virginia Historical Society on Friday, March 16, 2012, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The conference is sponsored by the Virginia Historical Society and made possible by a generous grant from the Virginia Environmental Endowment. Fri, 20 Jan 2012 11:47:00 EST http://www.vahistorical.org/news/veeconf.htm http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_backstory112111.htm On November 21, 2011, internationally renowned historians and hosts Edward Ayers, Brian Balogh, and Peter Onuf presented "Thanksgiving in American History." Exploring competing myths surrounding Thanksgiving’s origins, the American History Guys peeled back layers of tradition that have created the celebration that we know today. From Pilgrims, to turkey, to football games, to parade floats, the Guys offered surprising perspectives on the shaping of one our nation’s most beloved holidays. A special guest—who made a case for Virginia’s claim on Thanksgiving’s roots— also joined the Guys.(Introduction by Paul A. Levengood) Wed, 14 Dec 2011 11:47:00 EST http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_backstory112111.htm http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_sedore.htm On December 8, 2011, Timothy S. Sedore delivered a lecture entitled "Virginia's Confederate Monuments." Hundreds of memorials in stone commemorate the Civil War in Virginia at courthouses, cemeteries, town squares, and battlefields. With "An Illustrated Guide to Virginia's Confederate Monuments", Timothy S. Sedore presents the first comprehensive handbook of this legacy of America's greatest national trauma in the Old Dominion. Timothy S. Sedore is a professor of English at The City University of New York, Bronx Community College. (Introduction by Paul Levengood). Tue, 13 Dec 2011 14:17:00 EST http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_sedore.htm http://www.vahistorical.org/research/tacl_santa.htm Perhaps you've seen A Christmas Story and remember Ralphie, a young boy in the 1940s, who asks for a BB gun for Christmas but is told by his parents, "You'll shoot your eye out, kid." Read the feature and learn about several other kids requests for Christmas presents. Fri, 9 December 2011 16:00:00 EST http://www.vahistorical.org/research/tacl_santa.htm http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_goodheart.htm On November 30, 2011, Adam Goodheart delivered a lecture entitled "1861: Civil War Awakening." With his new book, "1861: The Civil War Awakening," Adam Goodheart revisits the most turbulent and consequential year in American history. In the hands of a master storyteller, we relive a time that witnessed the breakup of the nation and the first bloodletting in what became a four-year catalog of internecine violence and destruction. As the first year of the Civil War Sesquicentennial comes to an end, this lecture will pull together for us all of the drama and tumult of 1861 and present vividly the characters who populated that decisive era. Adam Goodheart teaches history and is director of the C. V. Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience at Washington College in Maryland. (Introduction by Paul Levengood) Wed, 02 Dec 2011 09:37:00 EST http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_goodheart.htm http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_wheat.htm On October 27, 2011, Dr. Adrian Wheat delivered a lecture entitled "Civil War Medicine." Staggering numbers of sick and wounded soldiers placed unprecedented demands on the practice of medicine on both sides during the Civil War. This lecture will describe the state of medical science in the 1860s and its application in Virginia during the war, mostly on the Confederate side. It will assess the complicated issue of care on the battlefield, transportation of patients to fixed general hospitals, and the role of sanitation. Dr. Adrian Wheat practiced medicine for many years as an army surgeon and helped found the Society of Civil War Surgeons. Most recently he advised the VHS on surgical topics for the exhibition "An American Turning Point: The Civil War in Virginia". This lecture is cosponsored with the Richmond National Battlefield Park.(Introduction by Paul Levengood). Wed, 02 Nov 2011 15:37:00 EST http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_wheat.htm http://vahistorical.wordpress.com/2011/11/03/stories-at-the-museum-is-fun-for-the-entire-family/ Are you looking for something fun and educational to do with your family? Then visit the Virginia Historical Society for Stories at the Museum! Read the blog and learn why Stories at the Museum is fun for the entire family. Thurs, 3 November 2011 16:00:00 EST http://vahistorical.wordpress.com/2011/11/03/stories-at-the-museum-is-fun-for-the-entire-family/ http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_woodlief_ramos.htm On October 13, 2011, Graham Woodlief and Barbara Ramos delivered their lecture entitled "The First Thanksgiving." Because of what they learned in elementary school, most Americans probably associate Thanksgiving with the Pilgrims in Massachusetts in 1621. Less well know outside Virginia is the fact that more than a year earlier, a hardy band of Englishmen landed at Berkeley Hundred on the James River and held the real first Thanksgiving. Captain John Woodlief and thirty-seven men sailed from Bristol, England, on the ship "Margaret" and reached Berkeley Hundred nearly three months later in December 1619. They marked their deliverance from the stormy north Atlantic with a simple service of thanks to God. Graham Woodlief and Barbara Ramos will tell the story of this first Thanksgiving in English-speaking America and of the origins of the Virginia Thanksgiving Festival, which led to President Kennedy's mention of Virginia in his Thanksgiving proclamation of 1963. This lecture is cosponsored with the Virginia Thanksgiving Festival. (Introduction by Thomas A. Silvestri, President and Publisher, Richmond Times-Dispatch). Tue, 18 October 2011 13:35:00 EST http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_woodlief_ramos.htm http://www.vahistorical.org/research/tacl_civildefense.htm This feature gives you a behind-the-scenes view of some of the items in our collections and what they reveal about our shared past. This month's feature is "Duck and Cover: Civil Defense in Virginia in the 1950s." Mon, 26 September 2011 11:10:00 EST http://www.vahistorical.org/research/tacl_civildefense.htm http://vahistorical.wordpress.com/2011/09/13/vulgar-fractions/ Thisblog was written by Asya Simons who just completed her summer internship with the web and digital resources department at the VHS. This is the third in a series of entries that she has written about her internship and specifically on her experience working on Unknown No Longer: A Database of Virginia Slave Names, which launches in September 2011. Tue, 13 September 2011 16:10:00 EST http://vahistorical.wordpress.com/2011/09/13/vulgar-fractions/ http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_howard.htm On September 8, 2011, A. E. Dick Howard delivered a Banner Lecture entitled "The Constitution of Virginia: From Jefferson's Day to Our Own Time." Commentators often refer to Professor A. E. Dick Howard as "The Father of Virginia's Constitution" for good reason. He was executive director of the commission that wrote Virginia’s current constitution and directed the successful referendum campaign for ratification of that document. In this lecture, held during the 40th year since ratification, he will weave the story of Virginia's constitution with the great issues of our state's history—founding a republic, nurturing religious liberty, grappling with problems of race, facing the challenges of a changing society, and reflecting the hopes and aspirations of the people of Virginia. It is a story that has its great moments, such as Jefferson's Statute for Religious Freedom, and its sobering chapters, such as massive resistance. Ultimately, it is the story of how a people, though their constitution, shape their destiny. The author of numerous books, Professor Howard is the White Burkett Miller Professor of Law and Public Affairs at the University of Virginia.(Introduction by Paul Levengood) Mon, 12 September 2011 10:00:00 EST http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_howard.htm http://vahistorical.wordpress.com/2011/08/26/my-summer-internship-at-the-vhs/ Thisblog was written by Asya Simons who just completed her summer internship with the web and digital resources department at the VHS. This is the second in a series of entries that she has written about her internship and specifically on her experience working on Unknown No Longer: A Database of Virginia Slave Names, which launches in September 2011. Fri, 26 August 2011 16:10:00 EST http://vahistorical.wordpress.com/2011/08/26/my-summer-internship-at-the-vhs/ http://vahistorical.wordpress.com/2011/08/13/come-beat-the-heat-at-the-vhss-august-afternoons/ A blog about August Afternoons, an opportunity for families to participate in interactive activities while they visit the museum. Read a new blog, "Come beat the heat at the VHS's August Afternoons,"by VHS school program coordinator Caroline Legros. Sat, 13 August 2011 13:45:00 EST http://vahistorical.wordpress.com/2011/08/13/come-beat-the-heat-at-the-vhss-august-afternoons/ http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_gillette.htm On August 4, 2011, Robert H. Gillette delivered a Banner Lecture entitled "The Virginia Plan: William B. Thalhimer and a Rescue from Nazi Germany." Among the Jews attempting to flee Nazi Germany in the 1930s were students of the Gross Breesen agricultural institute who hoped to secure visas to America. In a bold plan, Richmond department store owner William B. Thalhimer created a safe haven for the students on a Burkeville farm. This is the remarkable history of Thalhimer's heroic rescue mission and the struggle of the refugees to make a new home in rural America. In his new book, "The Virginia Plan", Robert H. Gillette narrates a saga of sacrifice, survival, and hope on two continents. (Introduction by Nelson Lankford) Mon, 8 August 2011 12:10:00 EST http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_gillette.htm http://vahistorical.wordpress.com/2011/08/05/when-one-thing-leads-to-another-2/ A blog about the conservation of Pierre Daura's Barn and Cattle painting. Read a new blog, "When one thing leads to another,"by VHS Digital Collections Manager Meg Eastman. Fri, 5 August 2011 14:45:00 EST http://vahistorical.wordpress.com/2011/08/05/when-one-thing-leads-to-another-2/ http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_smith_dementi.htm On July 14, Brooks Smith and Wayne Dementi delivered a Banner Lecture entitled "Facts & Legends of Sports in Richmond." Basing their presentation on their recent book, Brooks Smith and Wayne Dementi will give an illustrated lecture on the history of sports in Virginia's capital city. Smith and Dementi will present the venues, memorable events, and athletes of Richmond sports. The essays in "Facts & Legends of Sports in Richmond" were originally presented in Smith's commentary series, which first aired on WCVE public radio. The many new and vintage photographs featured in the book come from the collections of the Dementi family of photographers. (Introduction by Paul A. Levengood) Tue, 19 July 2011 10:50:00 EST http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_smith_dementi.htm http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_kliman.htm On June 30, 2011, Todd Kliman delivered a Banner Lecture entitled "The Wild Vine: A Forgotten Grape and the Untold Story of American Wine." Vineyards and wine making have become all-American success stories in recent years, especially in Virginia. In his book, "The Wild Vine", author Todd Kliman engagingly traces the story of the native grape hybrid, and its nineteenth-century Virginia advocate, that led by a circuitous path to the rebirth of wine-making in the twentieth century. The story begins long before California supposedly put America on the viticulture map with Dr. Daniel Norton's experimentations with grapes in Richmond. The Norton hybrid migrated to the Midwest and then, after seemingly disappearing, returned to Virginia soil to great success in more recent times. Todd Kliman is food and wine editor of the "Washingtonian". (Introduction by Paul A. Levengood and Jack Berninger) Fri, 1 July 2011 14:15:00 EST http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_kliman.htm http://vahistorical.wordpress.com/2011/06/14/did-you-know-that-june-14th-is-flag-day/ A Flag Day blog about the history of Flag Day and flags in the Virginia Historical Society's collections. Read a new blog, "Did you know that June 14th is Flag Day?,"by VHS Registrar Rebecca A. Rose. Tue, 14 June 2011 15:45:00 EST http://vahistorical.wordpress.com/2011/06/14/did-you-know-that-june-14th-is-flag-day/ http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_schecter.htm On June 9, 2011, Barnet Schecter delivered a Banner Lecture entitled "George Washington's America: A Biography Through His Maps." The maps George Washington drew and purchased, from his teens until his death, were always central to his work. Inspired by these remarkable maps, Barnet Schecter has crafted a unique portrait of our first Founding Father, revealing his early career as a surveyor, his dramatic exploits in the French and Indian War, his struggles throughout the American Revolution as he outmaneuvered the far more powerful British army, his diplomacy as president, and his shaping of the new republic. Schecter, the author of "The Battle for New York", the hinge battle in the American Revolution, and "The Devil's Own Work", a chronicle of the Civil War draft riots in New York, is an independent historian who lives in New York City. This lecture is cosponsored with The Society of Colonial Wars in the State of Virginia. (Introduction by Paul A. Levengood) (Introduction by Paul A. Levengood) Tue, 14 June 2011 14:05:00 EST http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_schecter.htm http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_waugh.htm On May 12, 2011, John C. Waugh delivered a Banner Lecture entitled "Lincoln and McClellan." There was no more remarkable yoking of personalities in the Civil War than Abraham Lincoln and George McClellan. In "Lincoln and McClellan", award-winning author John C. Waugh takes an in-depth look at this fascinating pair, from the early days of the conflict to the 1864 presidential election when McClellan ran against Lincoln on an antiwar platform and lost. Waugh weaves a tale of hubris, paranoia, failure, and triumph, illuminating as never before this unique and complicated relationship. John C. Waugh is an independent historian and former correspondent and bureau chief for "The Christian Science Monitor." (Introduction by Paul A. Levengood) Tue, 17 May 2011 10:35:00 EST http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_waugh.htm http://www.vahistorical.org/storyofvirginia.htm The Virginia Historical Society has revamped and improved our online exhibit "The Story of Virginia, An American Experience." We are asking for feedback about the new design and features. Please visit the online exhibition and then fill out the online survey. Wed, 11 May 2011 13:00:00 EST http://www.vahistorical.org/storyofvirginia.htm http://vahistorical.wordpress.com/2011/05/06/o-mother-rest-from-tortured-thought// A Mother's Day blog about a mother's hope and anguish during Word War II. Read a new blog, "O, Mother Rest from Tortured Thought,"by Exhibit Coordinator Andrew H. Talkov. Fri, 6 May 2011 16:45:00 EST http://vahistorical.wordpress.com/2011/05/06/o-mother-rest-from-tortured-thought// http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_walsh.htm On April 21, 2011, Lorena S. Walsh delivered a Banner Lecture entitled "Motives of Honor, Pleasure, and Profit: Plantation Management in the Colonial Chesapeake, 1607–1763." In a new account of early English America, Walsh offers an enlightening history of plantation management in the Chesapeake colonies of Virginia and Maryland. Her scope ranges from the founding of Jamestown to the close of the Seven Years' War and the end of the "Golden Age" of colonial Chesapeake agriculture. Walsh's narrative incorporates stories about the planters themselves, including family dynamics and relationships with enslaved workers. An accomplished author of books on early America, Lorena S. Walsh was for twenty-seven years a historian at the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. This lecture was cosponsored with The Society of Colonial Wars in the State of Virginia. (Introduction by Paul A. Levengood) Wed, 27 Apr 2011 16:35:00 EST http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_walsh.htm http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_lankford_2011.htm On April 14, 2011, Nelson D. Lankford delivered a Banner Lecture entitled "The Crooked Road to Civil War." When Abraham Lincoln was inaugurated in March 1861, Virginia remained a loyal state within the Union. In the convention that met in Richmond to consider the commonwealth's relationship to the national government, union men held a strong majority. But as events unfolded, their loyalty wavered. Nelson Lankford recounts the dramatic events of that spring, when no one could foretell the future of the country, seemingly poised on the brink of dissolution. Dr. Lankford is vice president for programs at the Virginia Historical Society and author of "Cry Havoc! The Crooked Road to Civil War, 1861." This lecture is cosponsored with the Richmond National Battlefield Park. (Introduction by Paul A. Levengood) Sat, 16 Apr 2011 15:35:00 EST http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_lankford_2011.htm http://vahistorical.wordpress.com/2011/03/28/the-changing-face-of-virginia-the-heath-gravity-railroad/ The sixth installment in The Changing Face of Virginia series is written by high school student and Blanton Scholar, Ciara Mills. Ciara tells the story of how she learned about the Heath Gravity Railroad in Midlothian. Mon, 11 Apr 2011 10:40:00 EST http://vahistorical.wordpress.com/2011/03/28/the-changing-face-of-virginia-the-heath-gravity-railroad/ http://www.vahistorical.org/education/stories.htm Celebrate National Poetry Month in April and Asian and Pacific American Heritage Month in May! "Stories at the Museum" is a FREE children's program and includes a group reading of a selected book and a craft activity related to the text. The programs take place Wednesday afternoons at 4 pm. No reservations necessary. Mon, 28 Mar 2011 10:50:00 EST http://www.vahistorical.org/education/stories.htm http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_egerton.htm On March 24, 2011, Douglas R. Egerton delivered a Banner Lecture entitled "Year of Meteors: Stephen Douglas, Abraham Lincoln, and the Election that Brought on the Civil War." In "Year of Meteors," Douglas R. Egerton recreates the tumultuous presidential election year of 1860, which upset every conventional expectation and split the American political system beyond repair. At the beginning of the year, Senator Stephen A. Douglas, leader of the Democrats, the only party with a large following in both North and South, seemed poised to win. By fall the Democratic Party had disintegrated, enabling the upstart Republicans to put an untried but canny dark horse candidate in the White House. "Year of Meteors" tells the story of Abraham Lincoln's rise to power and the series of events that led to secession and ultimately civil war. Dr. Egerton teaches history at Le Moyne College in Syracuse, N.Y. (Introduction by Nelson D. Lankford) Fri, 25 Mar 2011 15:35:00 EST http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_egerton.htm http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_kimball_Richmond.htm On March 10, 2011, Gregg Kimball delivered a Banner Lecture entitled "American City, Southern Place: Richmond on the Eve of War." As a city of the upper South intimately connected to northeastern cities, the southern slave trade, and the Virginia countryside, Richmond embodied many of the contradictions of mid-nineteenth-century America. Gregg Kimball depicts the Richmond community as a series of dynamic, overlapping networks, showing how various groups of residents, immigrants and natives, free people and slaves, those high born and low, understood themselves and their society within this web of experience. Drawing on a wealth of archival material and private letters, Dr. Kimball elicits new perspectives on the nature of antebellum society and the coming of the Civil War. Gregg Kimball is director of education and outreach at the Library of Virginia and the author of "American City, Southern Place: A Cultural History of Antebellum Richmond." This lecture is cosponsored with the Richmond National Battlefield Park. (Introduction by Paul A. Levengood) Fri, 11 Mar 2011 17:50:00 EST http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_kimball_Richmond.htm http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_crofts.htm On March 3, 2011, Daniel Crofts delivered a Banner Lecture entitled "The Diary of a Public Man and Abraham Lincoln." "The Diary of a Public Man," published anonymously in several installments in the North American Review in 1879, claimed to offer verbatim accounts of secret conversations with Abraham Lincoln, William H. Seward, and Stephen A. Douglas among others in the weeks just before the start of the Civil War. Despite repeated attempts to decipher the diary, historians never have been able to pinpoint its author or determine its authenticity. Part detective story, part biography, and part a detailed narrative of events in early 1861, A Secession Crisis Enigma presents a compelling answer to an enduring mystery. Dr. Crofts is a professor of history at The College of New Jersey. (Introduction by Paul A. Levengood) Fri, 11 Mar 2011 17:50:00 EST http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_crofts.htm http://www.vahistorical.org/news/stridethroughtime.htm The Virginia Historical Society is proud to be the new location of the start and finish line of the Anthem Stride Through Time, a 6.2-mile walk centered around Richmond's rich history. The third annual Anthem Stride Through Time set for Saturday, May 21 has moved its course to the historic Fan District. Participants will walk past numerous museums, historic sites and monuments, over cobblestone and brick. Tue, 8 Mar 2011 11:30:00 EST http://www.vahistorical.org/news/stridethroughtime.htm http://www.vahistorical.org/news/pr_unknownnolonger.htm The Virginia Historical Society recently received a $100,000 grant from Dominion Resources and The Dominion Foundation to fund the creation of 'Unknown No Longer: A Database of Virginia Slave Names.' This free, online database will contain personal information about enslaved Virginians gleaned from some of the more than eight million processed manuscripts in VHS collections. Fri, 4 Mar 2011 15:10:00 EST http://www.vahistorical.org/news/pr_unknownnolonger.htm http://vahistorical.wordpress.com/2011/03/04/a-feast-for-the-eyes/ Virginia Historical Society's Digital Collections Manager Meg Eastman writes about the illustrated R. K. Sneden finding aid and presents a few of her favorite illustrations from the Sneden diary. Fri, 4 Mar 2011 15:10:00 EST http://vahistorical.wordpress.com/2011/03/04/a-feast-for-the-eyes/ http://www.vahistorical.org/news/pr_trustees2011.htm On January 19, 2011, at the first Virginia Historical Society board meeting of the year, President and CEO Paul Levengood welcomed three new trustees who will serve from 2011 through 2016: Thomas Allen, Gary Gore, and Carole Weinstein. Levengood also welcomed three new honorary vice chairmen who will serve an unlimited term: Grady W. Powell of Petersburg, J. Stewart Bryan III of Richmond, and H. Furlong Baldwin of Baltimore, Maryland. Tue, 1 Mar 2011 12:20:00 EST http://www.vahistorical.org/news/pr_trustees2011.htm http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_lengel_washington.htm On February 24, 2011, Ed Lengel delivered a Banner Lecture entitled "Inventing George Washington: America's Founder in Myth and Memory." In "Inventing George Washington," Edward G. Lengel shows how the former president and war hero continued to serve his nation on two distinct levels after his death. The public Washington evolved into an eternal symbol as the "Father of His Country," while the private man remained at the periphery of the national vision for successive generations. As some exalted Washington, others sought to bring him down to the earth, thus creating a series of competing mythologies that depicted Washington as every imaginable sort of human being. Dr. Lengel is editor-in-chief of the Washington Papers Project and a professor of history at the University of Virginia. (Introduction by Paul A. Levengood) Mon, 28 Feb 2011 16:50:00 EST http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_lengel_washington.htm http://vahistorical.wordpress.com/2011/02/24/more-about-the-virginia-home-front/ Virginia Historical Society Lead Curator William M. S. Rasmussen writes about an online version of 'Life on the Virginia Home Front,' one of seventeen audiovisual programs that are currently on view in 'An American Turning Point: The Civil War in Virginia.' Fri, 25 Feb 2011 10:40:00 EST http://vahistorical.wordpress.com/2011/02/24/more-about-the-virginia-home-front/ http://vahistorical.wordpress.com/2011/02/22/a-generals-books-tell-tales/ Virginia Historical Society Cataloging Library Assistant Stephanie Fillman writes about Stonewall Jackson's Legacy Library. Thu, 24 Feb 2011 13:17:00 EST http://vahistorical.wordpress.com/2011/02/22/a-generals-books-tell-tales/ http://vahistorical.wordpress.com/2011/02/09/a-hidden-valentine/ Chief Librarian Frances Pollard writes about two unique items in the Virginia Historical Society's collections just in time for Valentine's Day. Thu, 10 Feb 2011 11:50:00 EST http://vahistorical.wordpress.com/2011/02/09/a-hidden-valentine/ http://www.vahistorical.org/civilwar/main.htm Big news coming from the VHS: The "An American Turning Point: The Civil War in Virginia" exhibition had awesome attendance this weekend: almost 750 people on Saturday and Sunday combined! Plus, this is the first Monday the VHS has been open in more than two years. The Boulevard door is open to the public again AND the museum and research library are FREE to visit any day of the week! Mon, 7 Feb 2011 16:50:00 EST http://www.vahistorical.org/civilwar/main.htm http://www.vahistorical.org/news/gallery_walks.htm Check out the list of 2011 Gallery Walks. Topics range from "The Civil War in Virginia: Women's Lives" to "Art in The Story of Virginia." Fri, 21 Jan 2011 17:50:00 EST http://www.vahistorical.org/news/gallery_walks.htm http://www.vahistorical.org/news/pr_2011calendar.htm Check out the list of exhibitions and events taking place at the Virginia Historical Society in 2011. Beginning Monday, February 7, 2011, the museum and shop operating hours will be Monday through Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm, and Sundays from 1 pm to 5 pm. The library will be open Monday through Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm. Free admission will continue throughout the year. Fri, 21 Jan 2011 14:50:00 EST http://www.vahistorical.org/news/pr_2011calendar.htm http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_kern.htm On January 13, 2011, Susan Kern discussed her book, 'The Jeffersons at Shadwell.' In The Jeffersons at Shadwell, Susan Kern merges archaeology, material culture, and social history to reveal the fascinating story of Shadwell, the birthplace of Thomas Jefferson and home to his parents, Jane and Peter Jefferson, their eight children, and more than sixty slaves. Kern's scholarship offers new views of the family's role in settling Virginia as well as new perspectives on Thomas Jefferson himself. The story of Shadwell affects how we interpret much of what we know about Thomas Jefferson today. Dr. Kern is a visiting assistant professor of history at the College of William and Mary. Fri, 21 Jan 2011 14:50:00 EST http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_kern.htm http://www.vahistorical.org/news/pr_hours.htm Last year the Virginia Historical Society made the history museum and research library more accessible to visitors by offering free admission. This year the VHS is further expanding accessibility by opening on Mondays. Beginning Monday, February 7, 2011, the VHS will be open seven days a week. The museum and shop operating hours will be Monday through Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm, and Sundays from 1 pm to 5 pm. The library will be open Monday through Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm. Free admission will continue throughout the year. Tue, 18 Jan 2011 16:00:00 EST http://www.vahistorical.org/news/pr_hours.htm http://www.vahistorical.org/civilwar/panelexhibit.htm To commemorate the 150th anniversary of the American Civil War, the Virginia Historical Society and the Virginia Sesquicentennial of the American Civil War Commission are pleased to announce the availability of a small traveling panel exhibit entitled "An American Turning Point: The Civil War in Virginia." This panel exhibit, designed by the Virginia Historical Society, complements a major gallery exhibit that will open in Richmond on February 4, 2011. The panel exhibit is specifically designed for display at libraries, community centers, museums, and historic sites, and is comprised of images, interpretive text, and a companion website designed for use on mobile devices. Bookings will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. This is an outstanding opportunity to bring sesquicentennial programming into your communities. More information about the exhibit and instructions on booking are available at www.vahistorical.org/civilwar/panelexhibit.htm. Additional questions can be directed to: Andrew H. Talkov, Exhibit Coordinator; Virginia Historical Society, P.O. Box 7311, Richmond, Virginia 23221-0311; Email: atalkov@vahistorical.org; Tel: (804)340-2276. Tue, 18 Jan 2011 14:44:00 EST http://www.vahistorical.org/civilwar/panelexhibit.htm http://vahistorical.wordpress.com/2011/01/18/old-and-new/ Virginia Historical Society's Digital Collections Manager Meg Eastman writes about several collection items that were recently photographed for the upcoming exhibition, "An American Turning Point: The Civil War in Virginia." This free exhibition commemorating the 150th anniversary of the American Civil War is on display at the Virginia Historical Society from February 4 to December 30, 2011. Tue, 18 Jan 2011 14:44:00 EST http://vahistorical.wordpress.com/2011/01/18/old-and-new/ http://vahistorical.wordpress.com/2011/01/12/be-careful-what-you-wish-for/ Virginia Historical Society's Vice President for Programs Nelson D. Lankford writes about the secession crisis of 1860-61. Wed, 12 Jan 2011 12:10:00 EST http://vahistorical.wordpress.com/2011/01/12/be-careful-what-you-wish-for/ http://www.vahistorical.org/education/stories.htm Visit the Virginia Historical Society and celebrate Black History Month Wednesday afternoons in February. Every program will include a group reading of the selected book and a craft activity related to the text. Children will create Henry "Box" Brown boxes, Harriet Tubman puppets, sit-in dioramas, and Martin Luther King puppets. Tue, 11 Jan 2011 10:20:00 EST http://www.vahistorical.org/education/stories.htm http://www.vahistorical.org/about/salesassoc_10411.htm The Virginia Historical Society is looking for a creative, motivated individual to assist customers with their purchases in the museum shop and to greet visitors at our Boulevard entrance. Fri, 7 Jan 2011 16:35:00 EST http://www.vahistorical.org/about/salesassoc_10411.htm http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_peters.htm One of America's great rural cemeteries, overlooking the falls of the James River, Hollywood provides a final resting place for Richmond's indeed, Virginia's political, business, and creative leaders, as well as 18,000 Confederate dead. Since before the Civil War, the elaborate ironwork, stone monuments, mausoleums, and natural setting have memorialized the varied lives of the individuals who have populated Virginia’s capital city. In this lecture based on his new book, 'Richmond's Hollywood Cemetery' , author and photographer John Peters brings these stories to life once more. (Introduction by Paul A. Levengood) Tue, 14 Dec 2010 15:30:00 EST http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_peters.htm http://www.vahistorical.org/news/class.htm New classes include: "The Nation Explodes . . . and War Begins in 1861", "Myths about George Washington", "Architecture in Detail: Identifying Architectural Styles", and "Religion in Virginia through the Antebellum Era." Tue, 14 Dec 2010 10:30:00 EST http://www.vahistorical.org/news/class.htm http://vahistorical.wordpress.com/2010/12/10/field-notes-journey-to-freedom/ Read a new blog about the upcoming exhibition, "An American Turning Point: The Civil War in Virginia." Lauranett L. Lee, curator of African American history at the VHS, writes about filming for an audiovisual program that will give visitors insight into the experience of slaves escaping to freedom. Mon, 13 Dec 2010 10:50:00 EST http://vahistorical.wordpress.com/2010/12/10/field-notes-journey-to-freedom/ http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_banner.htm New lectures include: "Inventing George Washington: America’s Founder in Myth and Memory" by Edward Lengel, "The Crooked Road to Civil War" by Nelson Lankford, "Motives of Honor, Pleasure, and Profit: Plantation Management in the Colonial Chesapeake, 1607–1763" by Lorena S. Walsh, "Lincoln and McClellan" by Joan Waugh, "George Washington’s America: A Biography Through His Maps" by Barnet Schecter, and "The Wild Vine: A Forgotten Grape and the Untold Story of American Wine" by Todd Kilman. Wed, 7 Dec 2010 10:00:00 EST http://http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_banner.htm http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrDMonqQBuY In "Virginia's Lucky Past," Lady Luck interviews President and CEO Paul Levengood and Vice President for Collections Lee Shepard at the Virginia Historical Society to find out about lotteries in Colonial Virginia. Did you know George Washington used lotteries to raise funds to build a road across the mountains to the Warm Springs of Virginia? Fri, 3 Dec 2010 13:00:00 EST http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrDMonqQBuY http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_kimball.htm From the textile mills of Danville to the coal fields of Wise to the tobacco factories of Richmond, workers have rallied to songs of labor. The songs told of heavy work, unjust conditions, and union struggles and were typically performed in the musical styles of their native folk traditions. On December 2, 2010, historian Gregg Kimball along with singers Jackie Frost and Sheryl Warner performed songs by such Virginia musical luminaries as the Carter Family as well as rank-and-file workers who filled churches, labor halls, and strike lines to protest their working conditions. (Introduction by Paul A. Levengood) Thu, 2 Dec 2010 15:30:00 EST http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_kimball.htm http://vahistorical.wordpress.com/2010/11/24/a-spoon-that-got-around/ Rebecca A. Rose, registrar at the Virginia Historical Society, writes about a unique silver spoon that will be featured in the VHS's upcoming exhibition, "An American Turning Point: The Civil War in Virginia," on display February 4, 2011. Wed, 24 Nov 2010 11:30:00 EST http://vahistorical.wordpress.com/2010/11/24/a-spoon-that-got-around/ http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_gallagher.htm On Thursday November 17, 2010, Gary W. Gallagher delviered a talk on "The Real Lost Cause: The Idea of Union in the Memory of the Civil War" at the Alexander W. Weddell Trustees Lecture. Next year we mark the 150th anniversary of the beginning of the Civil War. Only through the bloodiest conflict of our history did Americans resolve long-running disputes over Union and slavery. Ever since then, the significance of the war—its advent and its many outcomes—has stirred debate and study. In "The Real Lost Cause: The Idea of Union in the Memory of the Civil War," Gary W. Gallagher addressed the way North and South have reflected on the nature of what it meant to be a part of the United States of America. Dr. Gallagher is the Cavaliers' Distinguished Teaching Professor and Nau Professor of History at the University of Virginia and the author of "The Confederate War and Causes Won, Lost, and Forgotten: How Hollywood and Popular Art Shape What We Know about the Civil War." (Introduction by Paul A. Levengood) Tue, 23 Nov 2010 10:30:00 EST http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_gallagher.htm http://www.vahistorical.org/news/pr_blanton2010.htm On October 19, 2010, thirteen students from various high schools in Virginia were honored guests at the eighteenth-annual J. Harvie Wilkinson, Jr., Lecture, and they met Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. As participants in the Virginia Historical Society Wyndham B. Blanton Scholars Forum, the students heard O'Connor talk about Bushrod Washington, a Supreme Court Justice from Virginia. After her formal presentation, O'Connor took questions from the crowd of more than 900. She spoke about everything from discrimination, to her toughest court case, to her first job. Justice O'Connor even offered some fishing tips to members of the audience. Fri, 19 Nov 2010 15:15:00 EST http://www.vahistorical.org/news/pr_blanton2010.htm http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_nelson.htm On November 4, 2010, Scott Reynolds Nelson discussed his book "Steel Drivin' Man: John Henry, the Untold Story of an American Legend." According to the ballad that made him famous, John Henry did battle with a steam-powered drill, beat the machine, and died. Folklorists have long thought John Henry to be mythical, but historian Scott Nelson has discovered that he was a real person—a nineteen-year-old from New Jersey who was convicted of theft in a Virginia court in 1866, sentenced to ten years in the penitentiary, and put to work building the C and O Railroad. There, at the Lewis Tunnel, Henry and other prisoners worked alongside steam-powered drills. In his book, Nelson pieces together the biography of the real John Henry. It is also the story of work songs, songs that not only turned Henry into a folk hero but also, in reminding workers to slow down or die, were a tool of resistance and protest. This lecture complements the VHS exhibition "Organized Labor in Virginia." Scott Reynolds Nelson teaches history at William and Mary. Fri, 5 Nov 2010 16:00:00 EST http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_nelson.htm http://vahistorical.wordpress.com/2010/11/04/holiday-shoppers-fair-is-a-richmond-shopping-tradition/ The Virginia Historical Society is hosting the 16th annual Museum Stores of Richmond Holiday Shoppers Fair. If you haven’t been to Shoppers Fair before, it is a Richmond shopping tradition. Shoppers Fair is an opportunity to see what 15 different museums carry in their store all under one roof. Visitors can start (or finish) their holiday shopping and find hundreds of unique gifts for everyone on their list. All proceeds support the local nonprofit organizations participating in the event. Shoppers Fair takes place from 9:30 am to 5 pm on Friday, November 5, and Saturday, November 6 at the Virginia Historical Society. The special members-only shopping preview is Thursday, November 4, from 5 pm to 9 pm. Thu, 4 Nov 2010 13:45:00 EST http://vahistorical.wordpress.com/2010/11/04/holiday-shoppers-fair-is-a-richmond-shopping-tradition/ http://vahistorical.wordpress.com/2010/10/28/is-civility-disappearing-in-congress/ Virginia Historical Society Lead Curator William M. S. Rasmussen writes about a new online exhibit that features American presidential campaign materials from the collection of Allen Frey. In this blog Dr. Rasmussen asks the question, "Are today's politicians too vitriolic?" Thu, 28 Oct 2010 14:35:00 EST http://vahistorical.wordpress.com/2010/10/28/is-civility-disappearing-in-congress/ http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_rock.htm On October 15, 2010, to celebrate Virginia's long rockabilly roots, the Virginia Historical Society hosted a rockabilly concert featuring three great groups: The Dazzlers, Wrenn Mangum, and Exebelle and The Rusted Cavalcade. Highlights from the concert are now available online. Thu, 28 Oct 2010 10:20:00 EST http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_rock.htm http://www.vahistorical.org/elections/main.htm As Americans experience the congressional and gubernatorial campaigns of 2010 and examine the results of their selections, the Virginia Historical Society turns--as it has done before--to local collector Allen Frey to see what the past can tell us about the present. We have placed online a dozen examples drawn from Dr. Frey's collection of American presidential campaign materials, to see if politicians and campaigns of the past were as vitriolic as they are today. Tue, 26 Oct 2010 15:35:00 EST http://www.vahistorical.org/elections/main.htm http://vahistorical.wordpress.com/2010/10/20/how-did-slaves-escape/ Virginia Historical Society Lead Curator William M. S. Rasmussen writes about the most ambitious video program that is being developed for the upcoming Civil War exhibition, "An American Turning Point: The Civil War in Virginia." The interactive program will allow the visitor to take on the identity of a slave who attempts to escape to freedom and is faced with decisions as to where to go and what to do. Read the blog to learn more about this program. Wed, 20 Oct 2010 15:40:00 EST http://vahistorical.wordpress.com/2010/10/20/how-did-slaves-escape/ http://www.vahistorical.org/news/pr_gccr.htm At a reception on October 13, 2010, the Gay Community Center of Richmond (GCCR) honored Guy Kinman, a long-time activist for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered rights, by announcing its new partnership with the Virginia Historical Society (VHS). The GCCR granted the VHS money for the creation of the Guy Kinman Research Award, which will promote new historical scholarship on LGBT issues. Wed, 20 Oct 2010 15:15:00 EST http://www.vahistorical.org/news/pr_gccr.htm http://vahistorical.wordpress.com/2010/10/19/the-changing-face-of-virginia-diversity-in-annandale/ Virginia Historical Society Outreach Educator Jennifer Nesossis introduces the first blog in our "Changing Face of Virginia" series, written by Kidist Ketema, one of the 2010 Blanton Scholars. The remaining blogs will be posted over the next few months, so keep checking back! Tue, 19 Oct 2010 15:55:00 EST http://vahistorical.wordpress.com/2010/10/19/the-changing-face-of-virginia-diversity-in-annandale/ http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_tweedy.htm On October 13, 2010, Kate Chenery Tweedy discussed her book "Secretariat's Meadow." Secretariat, the great red stallion who became the 1973 Triple Crown winner, was born on March 30, 1970, at The Meadow, a historic farm in Caroline County. The new book, "Secretariat's Meadow," celebrates the farm, the family--especially Chris Chenery and his daughter, Penny--and Secretariat. The story is told by Penny Chenery's daughter, Kate Chenery Tweedy, with the assistance of her coauthor, Leeanne Ladin. More than 300 photos, most of which have never been seen, offer a magnificent visual journey to complement this special story in one of America's greatest sports moments. Mon, 18 Oct 2010 13:45:00 EST http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_tweedy.htm http://vahistorical.wordpress.com/2010/10/12/the-changing-face-of-virginia-and-the-2010-wyndham-b-blanton-scholars/ Virginia Historical Society Outreach Educator Jennifer Nesossis writes about the 2010 Wyndham B. Blanton Scholars program which focused on "The Changing Face of Virginia." Tue, 12 Oct 2010 11:15:00 EST http://vahistorical.wordpress.com/2010/10/12/the-changing-face-of-virginia-and-the-2010-wyndham-b-blanton-scholars/ http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_mccarthy.htm On Thursday October 7, 2010, Gerald P. McCarthy discussed the Virginia Environmental Endowment. Since its inception in 1977, Virginia Environmental Endowment has had a profound influence throughout the Old Dominion. This lecture focused on the origins, mission, and accomplishments of VEE. Gerald P. McCarthy examined the effects of the endowment's grants on Virginia's environment and the people who have helped to make those results possible. Sometimes described as "venture capital for environmental improvement in Virginia," VEE has played a unique role in the development of environmental research, education, and civic engagement. This lecture addressed each of these aspects of its work and the strategic approach to grant making that has made VEE a leader within the foundation world. Mr. McCarthy is executive director of Virginia Environmental Endowment. (Introduction by Paul A. Levengood) Tue, 12 Oct 2010 11:15:00 EST http://www.vahistorical.org/audio/mccarthy_10710.mp3 http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_banner.htm Secretariat, the great red stallion who became the 1973 Triple Crown winner, was born on March 30, 1970, at The Meadow, a historic farm in Caroline County. The new book, "Secretariat's Meadow," celebrates the farm, the family--especially Chris Chenery and his daughter, Penny--and Secretariat. The story is told by Penny Chenery's daughter, Kate Chenery Tweedy, with the assistance of her coauthor, Leeanne Ladin. More than 300 photos, most of which have never been seen, offer a magnificent visual journey to complement this special story in one of America's greatest sports moments. Pre-order a signed copy of "Secretariat's Meadow: The Land, The Family, The Legend" online at http://www.shop-vahistorical.org/secretariatsmeadow.html Thu, 7 Oct 2010 10:52:00 EST http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_banner.htm http://www.vahistorical.org/research/tacl_etiquettebooks.htm "A Book Every Body Should Possess." This simple statement highlights the importance placed on advice and etiquette books in the nineteenth century. How people learned to negotiate the social obligations and interactions was equally important in their struggle to improve their conditions. Learn more about advice and etiquette books in the Virginia Historical Society's collections in this month's "Take a Closer Look" feature. Wed, 29 Sep 2010 15:40:00 EST http://www.vahistorical.org/research/tacl_etiquettebooks.htm http://www.vahistorical.org/news/main.htm In August, the Virginia Historical Society opened the exhibition "Virginia Rocks! The History of Rockabilly in the Commonwealth." To celebrate Virginia's long rockabilly roots, the VHS is hosting a rockabilly concert featuring three great groups: The Dazzlers, Wrenn Mangum, and Exebelle and The Rusted Cavalcade. The concert takes place at the VHS on Friday, October 15, 2010, and starts at 8 pm. Tickets are $10 in advance for VHS members and $15 in advance for non-members. Purchase tickets online at http://events.vahistorical.org/events Wed, 29 Sep 2010 9:05:00 EST http://www.vahistorical.org/news/main.htm http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_berg_grand.htm On September 23, 2010, Scott W. Berg discussed his book Grand Avenues: The Story of Pierre Charles L'Enfant, the French Visionary Who Designed Washington, D.C. In 1791 George Washington asked Pierre Charles L'Enfant, who had been a French volunteer during the American Revolution, to design a new federal city on the Potomac for the young republic. Suffering from constant interference, L'Enfant persisted in his work for a year before being dismissed. Yet, his ambitious geometrical plan for the District of Columbia survived and endures to this day. In Grand Avenues, Scott W. Berg resurrects the cranky L'Enfant and reveals how his influence persists in the nation's capital city. Dr. Berg teaches English at George Mason University.(Introduction by Nelson D. Lankford) Fri, 24 Sep 2010 15:05:00 EST http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_berg_grand.htm http://www.vahistorical.org/news/pr_smithsonian.htm On Saturday, September 25, 2010, the Virginia Historical Society (VHS) will participate in the sixth annual Museum Day, presented by Toyota. The VHS will join participating museums and cultural institutions nationwide to open its doors free of charge to all visitors who download the Museum Day ticket from www.smithsonian.com. Fri, 24 Sep 2010 13:20:00 EST http://www.vahistorical.org/news/pr_smithsonian.htm http://vahistorical.wordpress.com/ Virginia Historical Society Registrar Rebecca Rose writes about the conservation of the "Petersburg City Guard" flag for the upcoming exhibition, "An American Turning Point: The Civil War in Virginia." Mon, 20 Sep 2010 16:06:00 EST http://vahistorical.wordpress.com/ http://vahistorical.wordpress.com/ Virginia Historical Society Library Clerk Elaine Hagy posts episode three of her "Diary of a Call Slip Girl" blog series which focuses on a rare book about historic wallpaper. Wed, 15 Sep 2010 13:25:00 EST http://vahistorical.wordpress.com/ http://www.shop-vahistorical.org/oconnor.html The Eighteenth Annual J. Harvie Wilkinson, Jr., Lecture will take place on Tuesday, October 19, 2010, at 5:30 pm. This year's lecture, "Reflections of a Supreme Court Justice," will be delivered by Sandra Day O'Connor, former Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. Justice O'Connor will be signing after the lecture for a very limited time. Pre-ordering a signed copy will guarantee you don't miss your chance! Fri, 10 Sep 2010 15:25:00 EST http://www.shop-vahistorical.org/oconnor.html http://vahistorical.wordpress.com/ The Virginia Historical Society's Digital Collections Manager Meg Eastman writes about digitizing the Civil War diaries and scrapbook of Pvt. Robert Knox Sneden. Thu, 9 Sep 2010 13:40:00 EST http://vahistorical.wordpress.com/ http://vahistorical.wordpress.com/ Virginia Historical Society Outreach Educator Jennifer Rohrbaugh Nesossis announces a call for volunteers to lead educational tours of VHS galleries. And long-time docent Peter Rippe writes about his experience teaching students at the Virginia Historical Society. Tue, 7 Sep 2010 15:55:00 EST http://vahistorical.wordpress.com/ http://vahistorical.wordpress.com/ VHS Curator William Rasmussen posts part two of "What's So Great About Sneden?"--a blog that discusses Civil War artist Robert Knox Sneden and his talents as a writer. Thu, 1 Sep 2010 13:37:00 EST http://vahistorical.wordpress.com/ http://vahistorical.wordpress.com/ VHS Library Clerk Elaine Hagy posts episode number two of "Diary of a Call Slip Girl," which features an 1890s brochure printed by The Jefferson Hotel in Richmond. Tue, 31 Aug 2010 15:37:00 EST http://vahistorical.wordpress.com/ http://www.vahistorical.org/news/pr_labor.htm In a new exhibition titled "Organized Labor in Virginia," opening Labor Day (Monday, September 6, 2010) the Virginia Historical Society explores the evolution of organized labor in Virginia, from pre-union contracts and apprenticeship agreements in the early 19th century through the 1950s, when the American Federation of Labor (AFL) and the Congress of Industrial Organization (CIO) merged in order to become even more powerful and effective in advancing conditions for working people. Mon, 30 Aug 2010 14:37:00 EST http://www.vahistorical.org/news/pr_labor.htm http://vahistorical.wordpress.com Read a new blog posted by VHS's Lead Curator William Rasmussen on What's "Rockabilly" and Who Were All of Those Rockers? Thu, 26 Aug 2010 13:06:00 EST http://vahistorical.wordpress.com http://vahistorical.wordpress.com/2010/08/23/whats-so-great-about-sneden-part-i/ Read a new blog posted by VHS's Lead Curator William Rasmussen on What's So Great About Sneden? Part I Thu, 26 Aug 2010 13:00:00 EST http://vahistorical.wordpress.com/2010/08/23/whats-so-great-about-sneden-part-i/ http://vahistorical.wordpress.com Read a new blog posted by VHS's Vice President for Collections E. Lee Shepard on Robert Knox Sneden's watercolors of Camp Lawton, a Civil War site that was recently excavated by a research team from Georgia Southern University. Thu, 19 Aug 2010 16:20:00 EST http://vahistorical.wordpress.com http://www.vahistorical.org/news/pr_rockabilly.htm Virginia Rocks! The History of Rockabilly in the Commonwealth—a traveling exhibition organized by the Blue Ridge Institute and Museum of Ferrum College—looks at the more than 60 artists and bands from all over the state who cut 45 rpm rockabilly records in small recording studios and radio stations in the 1950s and early 1960s. The exhibit explores well-known musicians like Elvis Presley and Patsy Cline, but also includes Virginia artists Janis Martin, Phil Gray, the Rock-A-Teens, the Dazzlers, and many more who may have only had one or two popular hits. Thu, 19 Aug 2010 13:47:00 EST http://www.vahistorical.org/news/pr_rockabilly.htm http://vahistorical.wordpress.com/2010/08/10/reconstructing-richmond/ Produced by the Virginia Historical Society and WRIR 97.3 LPFM, each one-minute Reconstructing Richmond segment uncovers the "hidden" history of Richmond, Virginia, during the Civil War. Featuring stories of people and places that once occupied the city blocks of Richmond, "Reconstructing Richmond" explores how an event that occurred 150 years ago still influences us today. Read the VHS blog to learn more. Thu, 12 Aug 2010 13:27:00 EST http://vahistorical.wordpress.com/2010/08/10/reconstructing-richmond/ http://www.youtube.com/user/vahistorical In this video, VHS Outreach Educator Geoff Cohrs discusses the whipping post on display in the Virginia Historical Society's long-term exhibition "The Story of Virginia, an American Experience." Fri, 6 Aug 2010 10:10:00 EST http://www.youtube.com/user/vahistorical http://www.vahistorical.org/education/patchday.htm At the VHS's Girl Scout Patch Day, Girl Scouts must complete three activities to earn their signature VHS patch: Story of Virginia History Box Stations, a Primary Source Program, and a Patch Day Game Show. The following dates are available for registration: October 16, 2010; December 11, 2010; February 12, 2011; and April 9, 2011. Wed, 4 Aug 2010 11:10:00 EST http://www.vahistorical.org/education/patchday.htm http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_mountcastle.htm On July 22, 2010, Jack Mountcastle discussed photos from the temporary exhibition "Memories of World War II: Photographs from the Archives of The Associated Press." The exhibition presents a stunning array of photographs from the greatest war in human history. It includes photographs of Hitler and Mussolini at their peak, Londoners during the Blitz, the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising of 1943, Allied leaders at Tehran, GIs in Normandy, and Marines on the black sands of Iwo Jima. Organized from the archives of the Associated Press, this exhibition presents a spectrum of 121 of the most dramatic photographs from all theaters of the war and the home front. In this lecture Brig. Gen. John W. Mountcastle (USA, Ret.) surveyed the most important of these images. Before retiring from active duty, Jack Mountcastle was the army's chief of military history in Washington, D.C. Wed, 28 Jul 2010 11:50:00 EST http://www.vahistorical.org/audio/mountcastle_72210.mp3 http://vahistorical.wordpress.com In preparaton for the 2011 exhibition "An American Turning Point: The Civil War in Virginia," exhibit curators William Rassmussen and Andrew Talkov search for information to illustrate the diverse experiences of the individuals who participated in the war. This blog entry describes their search for more information on Ann and Andrew Catron (Ketron) of Washington County. Fri, 23 Jul 2010 15:35:00 EST http://vahistorical.wordpress.com http://www.vahistorical.org/storyofvirginia.htm Visitors can now tour the Virginia Historical Society's galleries from home! The VHS launched a new online version of the award-winning exhibition "The Story of Virginia, an American Experience." Take a 360-degree virtual tour of each of the ten galleries, and watch videos of VHS staff discussing objects that are on display. Tue, 13 Jul 2010 10:34:00 EST http://www.vahistorical.org/storyofvirginia.htm http://www.youtube.com/user/vahistorical In this video, Lauranett Lee, VHS curator of African American History, discusses the A. D. Price Funeral Establishment, one of the oldest African American-owned businesses in Virginia. The hearse is an example of the many black-owned businesses that flourished during a time when segregation kept African Americans from patronizing white businesses. Another video features Outreach Educator Jennifer Nesossis discussing Dr. Richard Thompson Archer and his nineteenth-century English medicine chest in the Virginia Historical Society's long-term exhibition "The Story of Virginia, an American Experience." Mon, 28 Jun 2010 11:38:00 EST http://www.youtube.com/user/vahistorical http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_mcclurken.htm On June 10, 2010, Jeffrey W. McClurken, discussed his book, "Take Care of the Living: Reconstructing Confederate Veteran Families in Virginia." The Civil War ended in spring 1865, but for Confederate veterans and their families, its consequences persisted far longer as they began to pick up the pieces of their civilian lives in the devastated South. In his new book, Jeffrey W. McClurken assesses the wide-ranging effects of the war on Confederate veteran families in Southside Virginia. Coming to terms with postwar reality on an individual level meant reconstructing the household and seeking jobs and financial assistance. It also involved the state in providing replacement limbs for amputees, pensions, and homes for old soldiers and widows. These changes would influence the shape of southern society for generations to come. Dr. McClurken teaches history at the University of Mary Washington. Mon, 28 Jun 2010 11:33:00 EST http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_mcclurken.htm http://www.shop-vahistorical.org/shopnews.html Visit the VHS Pusey Museum Shop online and browse our new Books and Media categories specifically dedicated to Native American history and media (audiobooks, CDs, and DVDs). While you're there, don't forget to pre-order a copy of "Grand Avenues: The Story of Pierre Charles L'Enfant, the French Visionary Who Designed Washington, D.C." by Dr. Scott W. Berg, who will deliver a Banner Lecture on that topic on September 23, 2010. Visit our "What's New in the Shop" page (www.shop-vahistorical.org/shopnews.html) for links to these new online shop offerings! Wed, 16 Jun 2010 12:27:00 EST http://www.shop-vahistorical.org/shopnews.html http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_backstory.htm On May 20, 2010, internationally renowned historians and hosts Edward Ayers, Brian Balogh, and Peter Onuf presented "Paying Up: The History of Taxation." From the very beginning, Americans have been arguing about whether their taxes are fair and just. The American History Guys explored taxation's complicated and turbulent history-from the Stamp Act of 1765 to the Tea Party Movement of 2010-and discussed Americans' attitudes toward the Tax Man. Fri, 11 Jun 2010 10:32:00 EST http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_backstory.htm http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_horn.htm On May 27, 2010, James Horn discussed his book "A Kingdom Strange: The Brief and Tragic History of the Lost Colony of Roanoke." In 1587, a small band of men, women, and children put down the first tentative roots of English settlement on the sandy soil of Roanoke Island along the North Carolina coast, in what was then considered part of Virginia. In the face of dwindling supplies and hostile Indians, the English leader, John White, left his family and friends and re-crossed the Atlantic in a desperate attempt to assemble ships to rescue the failing colony. However, the threat from the Spanish Armada delayed his return until 1590, and when he did, the colonists had completely disappeared. In his dramatic new account, master historian James Horn revisits the tragedy of this first, failed effort at English colonization in the New World. He offers new evidence about what happened to the Lost Colony and its people. Tue, 8 Jun 2010 8:40:00 EST http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_horn.htm http://www.vahistorical.org/news/class.htm Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Associate Curator of American Art Elizabeth O'Leary will teach a two-part class on "American Art from Colonial Times to 1950" on September 30 and October 7, 2010, at the Virginia Historical Society. And on December 2 and 9, 2010, Dr. Robert Holsworth will examine the forces, the people, and the issues that are transforming politics in the Old Dominion today. Dr. Holsworth is one of the state's leading political analysts, founder of VirginiaTomorrow.com, and a State Council of Higher Education for Virginia Outstanding Faculty Award Winner. Online registration for these classes is now available. Mon, 7 Jun 2010 12:00:00 EST http://www.vahistorical.org/news/class.htm http://www.vahistorical.org/news/pr_bizarrebits.htm Disassembled skull bones. A hair wreath. An infant's smallpox scab. Tree fungus art. These are not items that most visitors would expect to see when visiting the VHS. But one way or another all of these weird pieces, and many more, have crept into the society's collections since its founding in 1831. Beginning Saturday, June 12, 2010, the VHS offers a new exhibition, "Bizarre Bits: Oddities from the Collection," that showcases more than forty of the most unusual objects and materials in the vast VHS holdings. Mon, 7 Jun 2010 9:43:00 EST http://www.vahistorical.org/news/pr_bizarrebits.htm http://www.youtube.com/user/vahistorical#p/a/u/0/PZ4lugJ8eg8 In this video, E. Lee Shepard, Vice President for Collections and Sallie and William B. Thalhimer III Senior Archivist, takes you behind the scenes at the VHS to look at three rare items from the colonial period. Wed, 19 May 2010 15:20:00 EST http://www.youtube.com/user/vahistorical#p/a/u/0/PZ4lugJ8eg8 http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_norman.htm On Thursday, May 6, 2010, the VHS held its annual Stuart G. Christian, Jr., Lecture in the Robins Family Forum. Elizabeth and Michael Norman discussed their book 'Tears in the Darkness: The Story of the Bataan Death March and Its Aftermath,' the gripping story of the 1942 battle for the Philippines, the surrender of 76,000 Americans and Filipinos to the Japanese, and the infamous Bataan death march. http://www.vahistorical.org/audio/norman_50610.mp3 Tue, 18 May 2010 14:45:00 EST http://www.youtube.com/user/vahistorical In this video, VHS Manager of Educational Services Bill Obrochta examines the life of George Washington through paintings in the Virginia Historical Society's long-term exhibition "The Story of Virginia, an American Experience." Mon, 10 May 2010 13:11:00 EST http://www.youtube.com/user/vahistorical http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_sheperd.htm On April 22, 2010, Lee Shepard delivered a Banner Lecture entitled 'Hidden Treasures: A Short History of the Mary Custis Lee Trunks.' In 2002, two wooden trunks were found at Burke and Herbert Bank and Trust Company in Alexandria, Va. The trunks contained letters, legal papers, journals, travel souvenirs, financial records, and smaller artifacts that were collected by Mary Custis Lee, the eldest daughter of General Robert E. Lee. The collection of manuscripts and artifacts, now at the Virginia Historical Society, have been added to what is currently the largest holding of Lee family papers in any single repository. Lee Shepard will discuss and show images of items found in the trunks—including an 1810 letter from George Washington Parke Custis, the builder of Arlington House; an 1863 order from Robert E. Lee, in his own hand, announcing the death of General Stonewall Jackson; and an 1872 letter from former Arlington House slave Selina Gray to Mary Randolph Custis Lee. He will also reveal new information that we have learned not only about Robert E. Lee but also about his very interesting daughter Mary. Lee Shepard is vice president for collections at the VHS. http://www.vahistorical.org/audio/sheperd_42210.mp3 Mon, 26 Apr 2010 15:30:00 EST http://www.vahistorical.org/news/lectures_trani.htm On April 1, 2010, Eugene P. Trani delivered a lecture on his book 'Distorted Mirrors: Americans and Their Relations with Russia and China in the Twentieth Century.' During the last century, United States relations with Russia and China went through many tumultuous changes. In a new appraisal, Eugene Trani shows where American images of Russia and China originated, how they evolved, and how they have often helped sustain foreign policies that were generally negative toward Russia and more positive toward China. Trani's wide-ranging new book draws on memoirs, archives, and interviews to show how influential individuals shaped perceptions and policies based on what they saw or thought they saw in those two countries. Dr. Trani is president emeritus of Virginia Commonwealth University.(Introduction by Nelson D. Lankford) http://www.vahistorical.org/audio/trani_40110.mp3 Mon, 26 Apr 2010 15:30:00 EST