Past Events

Hear from historians David Head and Timothy C. Hemmis, editors of A Republic of Scoundrels: The Schemers, Intriguers, and Adventurers Who Created a New American Nation. 

The Founding Fathers are often revered as American saints. This new book provides interesting stories of those Founders who were schemers and scoundrels, vying for their own interests ahead of the nation’s.

Attendees will have the opportunity to submit questions and have their books signed.

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Join us for lunch and compelling discussion with historian Alan Pell Crawford, who will discuss his new book, This Fierce People: The Untold Story of America's Revolutionary War in the South.  This groundbreaking history shows how the British surrender at Yorktown was the direct result of the southern campaign, and that the battles that emerged south of the Mason-Dixon line between loyalists and patriots were, in fact, America's first civil war.

This event is part of the Washington Library's new Lunch at the Library series. A boxed lunch (including sandwich or salad, fruit, pasta, cookie, chips, and drink) will be provided.

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The George Washington Presidential Library opened its doors in 2013 and in so doing, launched an ambitious research fellowship program where scholars carry out important work which they share with broad audiences. The Library is a stimulating environment for creative scholarship which encourages a confluence of new ideas and powerful connections, while delivering our mission to educate the widest public audience about the life, leadership, and legacy of the Father of Our Country. 

To celebrate the Library’s ten-year anniversary, the 2024 George Washington Symposium will showcase the ongoing work of its talented research fellows.

The George Washington Presidential Library opened its doors in 2013 and in so doing, launched an ambitious research fellowship program where scholars carry out important work which they share with broad audiences. The Library is a stimulating environment for creative scholarship which encourages a confluence of new ideas and powerful connections, while delivering our mission to educate the widest public audience about the life, leadership, and legacy of the Father of Our Country. 

To celebrate the Library’s ten-year anniversary, the 2024 George Washington Symposium will showcase the ongoing work of its talented research fellows.

Bring your lunch and join Amanda Isaac, Associate Curator, and Kathrin Breitt Brown, Historic Costumer, in a discussion of how the study and reproduction of garments in the Mount Vernon collection informs what we know about the wearers and makers. In studying several Martha Washington gowns, bodices, and remnants of bodices, they have been able to draw conclusions about Martha Washington’s physicality. 

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Bring your lunch and learn about Library Fellow Matthieu Haroux’s research project, Rochambeau and the American War of Independence (1780-1783). Haroux is writing a new biography of the Comte de Rochambeau with am emphasis on the relationships he built during the American Revolution.

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Bring your lunch and learn about Library Fellow Sherri Burr's research project, Generational Impact: An Economic Comparison of Mount Vernon's Enslaved Population Who Received Freedom in 1800 with Those Who Remained Enslaved until 1863. This project compares the lives of the enslaved people who were owned and then freed by George Washington to the enslaved people who belonged to the Custis Dower Estate.

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Join New York Times correspondent David E. Sanger and historian Tyson Reeder in a conversation moderated by Dr. Lindsay Chervinsky, as they discuss foreign interference in presidential elections from the 18th century to the present.

A reception with complimentary beer, wine, and hors-d'œuvres will follow the lecture.

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To mark the 200th anniversary of Lafayette's historic visit to Mount Vernon, join us for lunch and compelling discussion with historian Elizabeth Reese, who will discuss her new book, Marquis de Lafayette Returns: A Tour of America's National Capital Region. This event will also serve as a launch for the Washington Library’s exciting new French Digitization effort. 

This event is part of the Washington Library's Lunch at the Library series. A buffet lunch will be provided. Participants will have the opportunity to attend a post-lunch reenactment of Lafayette's historic visit to the Old Tomb, followed by a special wreath laying ceremony at Washington's Tomb.

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Bring your lunch and learn about Library Fellow Kelly Houston Jones's research project, Tangled Wrath: The Lynching of Enslaved People in the American South. This talk explores the history of vigilante violence against enslaved people, with special attention to communities in eighteenth-century Virginia and North Carolina. 

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The Supreme Court Historical Society and the Washington Presidential Library are joining together to present two lectures focused on George Washington, the history of the U.S. Supreme Court, and the nation's founding.

This segment, taking place at Mount Vernon, features a conversation between American University professor Gautham Rao, Georgetown Law professor Steve Vladeck, and Lindsay Chervinsky, the new Executive Director of the George Washington Presidential Library. They will discuss the history of the U.S. Supreme Court and politics.

A reception with complimentary beer, wine, and hors-d'oeuvres will take place after the lecture. 

Bring your lunch and learn about Library Fellow James E. Lewis's research project, American Prime: Why Americans Desired, Adopted, and Abandoned Their Own Prime Meridian. In writing his latest book, American Prime, Lewis is using resources at Mount Vernon that helps amplify the importance of the Prime Meridian in the 18th and 19th centuries and why the American people felt like it was so essential to establish a new Prime Meridian with their independence.

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Hear from historian Michael D. Hattem, author of The Memory of '76: The Revolution in American History.  In this new book, Dr. Hattem examines the surprising history of how Americans have fought over the meaning and legacy of the Revolution for nearly two and a half centuries.

Attendees will have the opportunity to submit questions and have their books signed.

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This year's exciting program, co-hosted by the George Washington's Presidential Library and More Perfect, will explore five goals for democratic renewal as the nation approaches the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. These goals of civic learning, service and volunteering, bridging divides, trusted elections and responsive governance, and trusted news information, were developed by leading democracy practitioners and further shaped by the American people.

This event will be followed by a reception.

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Bring your lunch and learn about Library Fellow Sandra Patton-Imani's research project, Ann Fairfax Washington Lee: Race, Gender, and Sex in 18th-Century Virginia. This project explores the life of Ann Fairfax, who was married to George Washington's older half brother Lawrence, a biracial woman and the first mistress of Mount Vernon. Patton-Imani is using Washington archives and materials to understand not only the life of Ann Fairfax but also matters of gender and race throughout the country in the 18th century. 

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Hear from Dr. Lindsay Chervinsky, the new Executive Director of the George Washington Presidential Library and author of Making the Presidency: John Adams and the Precedents That Forged the Republic. 

Dr. Chervinsky's new book is an authoritative exploration of the second U.S. presidency, a period critical to the survival of the American Republic. This book shows how John Adams's leadership and legacy defined the office for those who followed and ensured the survival of the American republic.

This event will be followed by a book signing and reception.

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Join us for lunch and a compelling discussion with author Jennifer London, who will discuss her new book, Profiles in Character: Sixteen Americans and the Traits that Defined Them. This fascinating new publication delves into individual character attributes that shaped and informed these important Americans in their vital roles in history.

This event is part of the Washington Library's Lunch at the Library series. A boxed lunch (including sandwich or salad, fruit, pasta, cookie, chips, and drink) will be provided.

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Bring your lunch and learn about Library Fellow Sarah Juliet Lauro's research project, Monumental: Commemorations of Enslaved Resistance. This project explores the history of slave resistance, not only at Mount Vernon but throughout the world, and how we commemorate it today. Lauro is working on a book project geared for general audiences as well as historians, scholars, and curators to articulate the productive role that opacity plays in art about enslaved resistance.

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Bring your lunch and learn about Library Fellow Meg E. Roberts's research project, Caregiving and Crisis in the American Revolutionary War. Using the resources at the George Washington Presidential Library, Meg is continuing her research on women in the 18th century and expanding the interpretation of caregivers during the American Revolutionary War.

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Hear from University of Notre Dame professor Katlyn Carter, author of Democracy in Darkness: Secrecy and Transparency in the Age of Revolutions. 

Dr. Carter examines how debates over secrecy and transparency in politics during the eighteenth century shaped modern democracy. This new book reshapes our understanding of how government by and for the people emerged during the Age of Revolutions.

Attendees will have the opportunity to submit questions and have their books signed.

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The U.S. Supreme Court has a history stretching back far earlier than 1787. Its English, colonial, Revolutionary, and even Confederation era forebears influenced the court's creators when they met in muggy Philadelphia to design America's new government system. Learn more about governors' councils in this event devoted to our judicial history.

Bring your lunch and learn about Library Fellow Sally Hadden's research project, One Supreme Court.

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Bring your lunch and learn about Library Fellow Lindsey M. Fisher-Hunt's research project, Mapping Their Influence: The Widespread Reach of the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association. This project explores the deep social, educational, and familial connections between women of the postbellum world and how they used those connections to save not just George Washington’s house, but historic sites across the Atlantic World. Created as both a digital history project for students and a coffee table book for a general audience, this work of public history will visualize the soft power that postbellum women utilized to create a culture of historic preservation across the United States and beyond.

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Join us for lunch and compelling discussion with Mottahedeh President Wendy Kvalheim, who will discuss her new book, Splendid Settings: 100 Years of Mottahedeh Design. This beautiful new publication is for china and porcelain collectors everywhere, and includes tips on entertaining and many beautiful illustrations.

This event is part of the Washington Library's new Lunch at the Library series. A boxed lunch (including sandwich or salad, fruit, pasta, cookie, chips, and drink) will be provided.

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To mark the 250^th anniversary of the Fairfax Resolves, a central document in the coming of the American Revolution co-authored by George Mason and George Washington, join emerging and leading historians for a two-day conference which will examine the origins and causes of the War for American Independence. 

In-Person tickets are sold out for this event. Please contact Stephen McLeod (703.799.8686) if you would like to be added to the wait list. 

Virtual tickets are still available.

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Hear from popular historian Richard Brookhiser, author of Glorious Lessons: John Trumbull Painter of the American Revolution. 

Brookhiser examines the complicated life and legacy of John Trumbull, whose paintings portrayed both the struggle and the principles that distinguished America’s founding moment.

Attendees will have the opportunity to submit questions and have their books signed.

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Bring your lunch and learn about Library Fellow Lucy Smith's research project, The Atlantic Bite: Circulation, Economy, and the Meaning of Teeth in George Washington’s World.

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As the wife of the nation's first president, Martha Washington truly defined the new role of First Lady of the United States. Hear how she and other First Ladies influenced American society, policy, diplomacy, and life, and how many of them broke barriers to make a mark on our country and, at times, the world. 

This event features Diana B. Carlin, Anita B. McBride, and Nancy Kegan Smith, authors of the new book, Remember the First Ladies: The Legacies of America’s History-Making Women. 

Following the lecture, guests will enjoy a reception that includes wine and beer, and a book signing.

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Join us for lunch and compelling discussion with authors Lori Ann LaRocco and Abby Wallace, who will discuss their new book, Embracing Your Past to Empower Your Future: Four Families Descended from Slaves Reflect of Stories of Strength, Love, and Gratitude. 

This event is part of the Washington Library's new Lunch at the Library series. A boxed lunch (including sandwich or salad, fruit, pasta, cookie, chips, and drink) will be provided.

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Bring your lunch and learn more about George Washington's world, the Washington Presidential Library’s important map collection, and the American Revolutionary Geographies Online (ARGO) web portal in our ARGO Brown Bag lunch series.

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Hear from University of Miami professor Ashli White, author of Revolutionary Things: Material Culture and Politics in the Late Eighteenth-Century Atlantic World. 

Dr. White's new book examines how objects associated with the American, French, and Haitian revolutions drew diverse people throughout the Atlantic world into debates over revolutionary ideals. She explores the power of material things and visual images to express the fervor and fear of the revolutionary era.

Attendees will have the opportunity to submit questions and have their books signed.

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In 1774, on the eve of the American Revolution, George Washington began a major expansion of his home, a building whose foundations dated to the 1730s. It was a project that he maintained throughout the war and that he continued after his triumphant return to Mount Vernon.

Inspired by the work that began 250 years ago, the 2024 Mount Vernon Symposium will explore the art and architecture of the British Atlantic in the long-eighteenth century, while surveying the connections between and comparisons of British and American practices in the years preceding and surrounding the American Revolution.

Join leading curators, historians and preservation experts as they examine the diffusion of British style and tastes, from Boston to Charleston, and from England and Ireland, to the Caribbean and the Chesapeake. 

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Hear from historian Talmage Boston, author of How the Best Did It: Leadership Lessons from our Top Presidents. 

Talmage Boston's new book is an accessible and insightful explanation of how the most important leadership traits from America’s eight greatest presidents can be implemented by today’s leaders. It is a discerning examination of what can be learned from some of our most effective leaders who have held—and wielded—ultimate power at the highest level.

Attendees will have the opportunity to submit questions and have their books signed.

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Join us for lunch and compelling discussion with author Brook Manville, who will discuss his new book, The Civic Bargain: How Democracy Survives. 

This event is part of the Washington Library's new Lunch at the Library series. A boxed lunch (including sandwich or salad, fruit, pasta, cookie, chips, and drink) will be provided.

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Bring your lunch and learn more about George Washington's world, the Washington Presidential Library’s important map collection, and the American Revolutionary Geographies Online (ARGO) web portal in our ARGO Brown Bag lunch series.

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The Pursuit of Happiness is a fascinating examination of what “the pursuit of happiness” meant to our nation’s Founders and how that famous phrase defined their lives and became the foundation of our democracy.

A book signing and reception with complimentary beer, wine, and hors-d'oeuvres will take place after the lecture. 

This event is part of the 2024 Michelle Smith Lecture Series. 

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The Supreme Court Historical Society and the Washington Presidential Library are joining together to present two lectures focused on George Washington, the history of the U.S. Supreme Court, and the nation's founding.

This segment, taking place in the Court Chamber, features the first biography of George Washington's extraordinary nephew, who inherited Mount Vernon and was Chief Justice John Marshall's right-hand man on the Supreme Court for nearly thirty years.

A reception with complimentary beer, wine, and hors-d'oeuvres will take place after the lecture. Tickets are available only as a two-lecture package.

The Supreme Court Lecture Series is SOLD OUT.

Hear from historian Christopher F. Minty, author of Unfriendly to Liberty: Loyalist Networks and the Coming of the American Revolution in New York City. 

Minty's new book explores the origins of loyalism in New York City between 1768 and 1776, and revises our understanding of the coming of the American Revolution.

Attendees will have the opportunity to submit questions and have their books signed.

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Founding Partisans by bestselling historian and Pulitzer Prize finalist H.W. Brands, is a revelatory history of the shocking emergence of vicious political division at the birth of the United States.

A book signing and reception with complimentary beer, wine, and hors-d'oeuvres will take place after the lecture. 

This event is part of the 2024 Michelle Smith Lecture Series. 

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Bring your lunch and learn about Library Fellow Edward P. Green's research project, Power, Diplomacy, and Interdependent Sovereignty in the Choctaw Nation, 1720-1924.

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Join us for lunch and a compelling presentation of The Great Experiment, an educational virtual reality (VR) experience that transports participants to Independence Hall at the time of the Constitutional Convention in 1787, finding themselves immersed and actively engaged in those historical moments surrounded by authentic avatars of the founders. 

This event is part of the Washington Library's new Lunch at the Library series. A boxed lunch (including sandwich or salad, fruit, pasta, cookie, chips, and drink) will be provided. Guests will have an opportunity to participate in this virtual experience following the presentation.

This event is SOLD OUT. If you would like to be added to the waiting list for tickets to this event, please contact Stephen McLeod at 703.799.8686.

Hear from George Mason University Professor Cynthia A. Kierner, author of The Tory's Wife: A Woman and her Family in Revolutionary America. 

Dr. Kierner's new book tells the story of Jane Welborn Spurgin, a patriot who welcomed General Nathanael Greene to her home and aided Continental forces while her loyalist husband was fighting for the king as an officer in the Tory militia. After the war, she was an abandoned wife on the verge of homelessness. But in a dramatic series of petitions to the North Carolina state legislature, she boldly fought to reclaim her family's property and to assert her own political rights.

Attendees will have the opportunity to submit questions and have their books signed.

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Join us for lunch and compelling discussion with librarian and author Paula Lenor Webb, who will discuss her new book, Such a Woman: The Life of Madame Octavia Walton LeVert. 

This event is part of the Washington Library's new Lunch at the Library series. A boxed lunch (including sandwich or salad, fruit, pasta, cookie, chips, and drink) will be provided.

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Bring your lunch and learn about Library Fellow John Phibbs's research project, The Influence of English Design on Mount Vernon’s Landscape.

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A Revolutionary Friendship is the first full account of the relationship between George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, countering the legend of their enmity while drawing vital historical lessons from the differences that arose between them.

A book signing and reception with complimentary beer, wine, and hors-d'oeuvres will take place after the lecture. 

Only virtual tickets remain; the in-person lecture has SOLD OUT. This event is part of the 2024 Michelle Smith Lecture Series. 

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The Michelle Smith Lecture Series is supported by an endowment established by a generous grant from the late Robert H. and Clarice Smith.

Join us for lunch and compelling discussion with Philadelphia Museum of Art curator Carol Soltis, who will discuss her work to authenticate and document Charles Willson Peale’s painting Washington at Princeton, now in the collection of the Residence of the U.S. Ambassador to France. 

This event is part of the Washington Library's new Lunch at the Library series. It will be followed by a special document viewing in the Mars Rare Books Suite. A boxed lunch (including sandwich or salad, fruit, pasta, cookie, chips, and drink) will be provided.  

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Hear from distinguished Professor David Waldstreicher, author of The Odyssey of Phillis Wheatley: A Poet's Journey Through American Slavery and Independence. 

Dr. Waldstreicher's new book is the most deeply researched biography of the poet. This is a paradigm-shattering account of Phillis Wheatley, whose extraordinary poetry set African-American literature at the heart of the American Revolution.

Attendees will have the opportunity to submit questions and have their books signed.

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Bring your lunch and learn about Music of the Revolution from Mount Vernon History Interpreter and Resident Fifer Don Francisco.

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Hear from Princeton University professor Michael A. Blaakman, author of Speculation Nation: Land Mania in the Revolutionary American Republic. 

Dr. Blaakman investigates the extraordinary wave of land speculation that swept the United States during its first quarter-century, stretching across millions of acres from Maine to the Mississippi. A story of ambition, corruption, capitalism, and statecraft, the book uncovers the revolutionary origins of this real-estate mania and explores its role in the American founding.

Attendees will have the opportunity to submit questions and have their books signed. This event will include a reception from 6 to 7 pm, before the lecture.

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Join us for lunch and compelling discussion with award-winning author John A. Ragosta, who will discuss his new book For the People, For the Country: Patrick Henry’s Final Political Battle. 

This event is part of the Washington Library's new Lunch at the Library series. A boxed lunch (including sandwich or salad, fruit, pasta, cookie, chips, and drink) will be provided.

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Bring your lunch and learn more about George Washington's world, the Washington Presidential Library’s important map collection, and the American Revolutionary Geographies Online (ARGO) web portal in our new ARGO Brown Bag lunch series.

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The Mount Vernon Ladies' Association invites you to an enlightening examination of American democracy, from the Founders' vision, to the future. Our outstanding lineup of speakers and panelists will discuss the challenges of maintaining and protecting our nation's democratic form of government. 

• Hear from renowned historians, journalists and leaders
• Attend a black-tie dinner at the Diplomatic Reception Rooms, U.S. Department of State
• Visit and explore the treasures of the George Washington Presidential Library
• Enjoy gourmet meals and receptions

Presenting Sponsor

 

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Lee & Toni Verstandig

The annual George Washington Symposium is supported by a generous endowment established by The Barra Foundation.

Bring your lunch and learn more about George Washington's world, the Washington Presidential Library’s important map collection, and the American Revolutionary Geographies Online (ARGO) web portal in our new ARGO Brown Bag lunch series.

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Teaching with the Washington Library

Attend a FREE 2-day George Washington Teacher Institute digital symposium for K-12 teachers to learn more about the complexities of George Washington, Martha Washington and the women of the 18th-century, and the enslaved community at Mount Vernon through the digital collections from the Washington Library.

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The annual George Washington Leadership Lecture explores the Father of our Country's lifelong accomplishments, providing a better understanding of him as a person, as well as his remarkable leadership, professional achievements, and lasting legacy.

This year's 10th anniversary event will feature a conversation with the Librarian of Congress, Dr. Carla Hayden. 

A reception with complimentary beer, wine, and hors-d'œuvres will follow the lecture.

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This lecture series was established through a generous gift by Maribeth Borthwick '73, who also serves as the Vice Regent for California of the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association.

This event is presented by the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy and the George Washington Presidential Library.

Bring your lunch and learn more about George Washington's world, the Washington Presidential Library’s important map collection, and the American Revolutionary Geographies Online (ARGO) web portal in our new ARGO Brown Bag lunch series.

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The Regent and the Vice Regents of the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association invite you to a benefit gala in celebration of the tenth anniversary of the George Washington Presidential Library with a black-tie dinner on the Mansion's east lawn, featuring performances from the American Pops Orchestra, private after-hours tours of the Mansion, a sunset reception overlooking the Potomac River, and dancing!

This year’s exciting program will explore the indispensable George Washington’s lead in enacting the Constitution and the lasting results in America today.

This event will be followed by a reception.

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We are completely full for in-person attendance, but welcome you to participate virtually.

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The Founding Debates are sponsored by The Ammerman Family Foundation, Dr. Denis Franks and Joy Ammerman Franks, Michael and Stephanie Franks to honor former Mount Vernon President and CEO James C. Rees, whose vision lives on with the Washington Library.

Hear from the four finalists for the 2023 George Washington Prize, Mary Sarah Bilder, Fred Kaplan, Stacy Schiff and Maurizio Valsania, as they discuss their important new books on the founding era. 

This annual award, sponsored by George Washington's Mount Vernon, the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, and Washington College, recognizes the past year’s best works on the nation’s founding era, especially those that have the potential to advance a broad public understanding of early American history.

Attendees will have the opportunity to submit questions and have their books signed. 

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The Founding Fathers’ Series focuses on the three Presidents who were pivotal in establishing the Nation’s Capital along the banks of the Potomac River: James Madison, Thomas Jefferson, and George Washington. To understand the establishment of the city of Washington, D.C. by our nation’s founders is to understand the promise of the American experience as well as the challenges that remain in order for us to achieve that more perfect union.

This Series examines the education, philosophical influences, personal experiences, families, and the economic influences on these three Founding Fathers, and this segment will focus on George Washington. 

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This event is presented by the Institute of Politics, Policy, and History and the Washington Presidential Library.

After the American Revolution, George Washington resolved that he would no longer “send to England (from whence I formerly had all my goods) for anything I can get upon tolerable terms elsewhere.” He instead turned to the United States’ greatest ally, France, where he found the furniture, ceramics, textiles, and decorative objects to be “very elegant” and “much admired.”  

This symposium will examine George and Martha Washington’s adoption of the French taste, as a catalyst to further explore the complex interchange of culture, decorative styles, and objects in the French-Atlantic World. 

Join leading curators and historians as they examine the diffusion of French style, from the Ancien Régime through the French Revolution to the French Empire, and from Paris to London, Philadelphia, Port-au-Prince, and New Orleans, to 20^th-century Los Angeles.  

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The Mount Vernon Symposium is endowed by the generous support of The Robert H. Smith Family Foundation, Lucy S. Rhame, The Felicia Fund, The Sachem Foundation, and Mr. and Mrs. Frank Mauran IV.

Rebels at Sea presents an entirely new pantheon of Revolutionary heroes whose exploits and sacrifices were at the very center of the conflict. Abounding in tales of daring maneuvers and deadly encounters, this exciting new book depicts this nation’s first war as we have rarely seen it before.

A book signing and reception with complimentary beer, wine, and hors-d'oeuvres will take place after the lecture. 

This event is part of the 2023 Michelle Smith Lecture Series. Tickets are available only as a three-lecture package.

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The Michelle Smith Lecture Series is supported by an endowment established by a generous grant from the late Robert H. and Clarice Smith.

In this probing, evocative portrait of a tumultuous life, master historian Flora Fraser peels away the layers of misinformation, legend, and myth to reveal a fascinating picture of this headstrong and irrepressible woman named Flora Macdonald. This is the captivating biography of the remarkable young Scotswoman whose bold decision to help “Bonnie” Prince Charlie—the Stuart claimant to the British throne—evade capture and flee the country has become the stuff of legend.

A book signing and reception with complimentary beer, wine, and hors-d'oeuvres will take place after the lecture. 

This event is part of the 2023 Michelle Smith Lecture Series. Tickets are available only as a three-lecture package.

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The Michelle Smith Lecture Series is supported by an endowment established by a generous grant from the late Robert H. and Clarice Smith.

Samuel Adams was the man with high-minded ideals and bare-knuckle tactics, who led what could be called the greatest campaign of civil resistance in American history. This is the revelatory biography from a Pulitzer Prize-winner about the most essential Founding Father—the one who stood behind the change in thinking that produced the American Revolution.

A book signing and reception with complimentary beer, wine, and hors-d'oeuvres will take place after the lecture. 

This event is part of the 2023 Michelle Smith Lecture Series. Tickets are available only as a three-lecture package.

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The Michelle Smith Lecture Series is supported by an endowment established by a generous grant from the late Robert H. and Clarice Smith.

Join us for an enlightening look at the cartographic revolution that took place during the eighteenth century.  We will also examine how and why maps became vital political, economic, and social tools in the Revolutionary era. 

During this symposium:

• Hear from Mount Vernon staff and leading historians
• Tour the Mansion
• View historic documents and objects

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The annual George Washington Symposium is supported by a generous endowment established by the Barra Foundation.

Join us for lunch and compelling discussion with Rachel A. Shelden, a member of our 2022-23 class of research fellows, as she discusses how differently the early U.S. Supreme Court and its justices operated, when compared to today's court. 

This event is part of the Washington Library's popular Lunch and Fellowship series. A boxed lunch (including sandwich or salad, fruit, pasta, cookie, chips, and drink) will be provided.

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The annual George Washington Leadership Lecture explores the Father of our Country's lifelong accomplishments, providing a better understanding of him as a person, as well as his remarkable leadership, professional achievements, and lasting legacy.

This year's event will feature the Mount Vernon premiere of the new film George Washington and the Pursuit of Religious Freedom.  It will also include a conversation with former Virginia Congressman Frank Wolf, who is a member of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom and the author of the International Religious Freedom Act  (IRFA). 

A reception with complimentary beer, wine, and hors-d'œuvres will follow the lecture.

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This lecture series was established through a generous gift by Maribeth Borthwick '73, who also serves as the Vice Regent for California of the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association.

This event is presented by the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy and the Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington.

Join leading gardeners, historians, horticulturists, archaeologists, and preservationists as they reconsider the importance of gardening, landscapes, and design in early America.

Learn how Washington and his contemporaries shaped the natural world to achieve beauty through gardening, profited through agriculture, and conveyed civic values through landscape design—and how these historic methods remain relevant in today’s world.

Revisit long-lost gardens, explore contemporary creations inspired by the past, and come face-to-face with the most authentic 18th-century plantation landscape in the United States. 

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The Mount Vernon Symposium is endowed by the generous support of The Robert H. Smith Family Foundation and Lucy S. Rhame.

Eliza Harriot was a path-breaking female educator and the first public female lecturer; her courageous performance likely inspired the gender-neutral language of the Constitution. Hear about her transatlantic life in this lecture by author Mary Sarah Bilder.

A reception and book signing will take place after the lecture. 

This event is part of the 2022 Michelle Smith Lecture Series. Receive discounted pricing when you register for all 3 lectures.

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The Michelle Smith Lecture Series is supported by an endowment established by a generous grant from the late Robert H. and Clarice Smith.

Hear from one of the most celebrated scholars of American history, Joseph J. Ellis. With his newest book, The Cause: The American Revolution and its Discontents 1773-1783, he brings the story of the revolution to vivid life for our modern era.

A reception and book signing will take place after the lecture. 

This event is part of the 2022 Michelle Smith Lecture Series. Receive discounted pricing when you register for all 3 lectures.

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The Michelle Smith Lecture Series is supported by an endowment established by a generous grant from the late Robert H. and Clarice Smith.

Join us for an enlightening look at the personal interests and exploits of George Washington prior to the American Revolution. We will also examine the broader world of the British Empire in North America in the mid-eighteenth century.

During this symposium:

• Hear from Mount Vernon staff and leading historians
• Tour the Mansion
• View historic documents and objects

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The annual George Washington Symposium is supported by a generous endowment established by the Barra Foundation.

Take an active role in deciding history, while enjoying a night out with your friends or colleagues.

In this immersive experience similar to Model UN, you'll navigate international and domestic crises in 18th century America; the decisions made by the group influences the outcome of the simulation.

Join us for an official book launch with award-winning author Nathaniel Philbrick. He will discuss his new book, Travels with George: In Search of Washington and His Legacy. 

The in-person event includes a reception and book signing with the author. You can also attend virtually and receive a signed copy of the book by mail.

In-Person Tickets

1 ticket + Book 2 tickets + 1 Book

For 2 tickets and 1 book, choose "2" as your quantity during checkout.

Virtual Tickets

Virtual ticket + Book

This symposium aims to bring together scholars from both sides of the Atlantic to address the lasting impact of the Transatlantic Slave Trade through panel discussions on themes ranging from its historical foundations and development in the Revolutionary Atlantic world to the current best practices in the museums and heritage sector.

• Transatlantic Abolition and Law: Monday, August 9, 2021, 12:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. GMT
• Constitutions and Slavery: Tuesday, August 10, 2021, 12:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. GMT
• Capitalism and Slavery: Wednesday, August 11, 2021, 12:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. GMT
• Keynote Public Programming and Interpreting Slavery in the Founding Era: Wednesday, August 11, 2021, 2:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. GMT
• Historic Sites Interpreting Slavery: Thursday, August 12, 2021, 12:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. GMT
• Public Memory and Oral History: Friday, August 13, 2021, 12:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. GMT

The Transatlantic Slavery Symposium is a joint venture between the Robert H. Smith Scholarship Centre at Benjamin Franklin House in London, the Robert H. Smith International Center for Jefferson Studies at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, and the Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington at George Washington’s Mount Vernon.

Join Mount Vernon for a virtual book talk with Dr. Katherine Carté to discuss her new book Religion and the American Revolution: An Imperial History.

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Join Mount Vernon for a virtual book talk with award-winning author Honorée Fanonne Jeffers where we will discuss her recent book, The Age of Phillis.

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Join Mount Vernon for a virtual book talk with historian Peter Cozzens where we will discuss his latest book, Tecumseh and the Prophet: The Shawnee Brothers Who Defied a Nation.

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During these live online interviews, hear about new books on early American presidents and ask questions of the authors during our audience Q&A.

You'll also receive an autographed book delivered to your home.

This series is supported by an endowment established by a generous grant from Robert H. and Clarice Smith. 

Join the Pilecki Institute in Warsaw, Poland to celebrate the 230th anniversary of the Polish Constitution of May 3, 1791, the second modern constitution following the United States Constitution of 1787, with a number of scholars from around the world including Washington Library Executive Director Dr. Kevin Butterfield. Watch live on April 29 at 12 pm ET (6 pm CEST).

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Join Mount Vernon for a virtual book talk with Dr. Michael D. Hattem where we will discuss his book, Past and Prologue: Politics and Memory in the American Revolution.

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During these live online interviews, hear about new books on early American presidents and ask questions of the authors during our audience Q&A.

You'll also receive an autographed book delivered to your home.

This series is supported by an endowment established by a generous grant from Robert H. and Clarice Smith. 

During these live online interviews, hear about new books on early American presidents and ask questions of the authors during our audience Q&A.

You'll also receive an autographed book delivered to your home.

This series is supported by an endowment established by a generous grant from Robert H. and Clarice Smith. 

Join the Washington Library, the John Marshall Center for Constitutional History & Civics, and Preservation Virginia's John Marshall House for a virtual talk with Robert Strauss about his new book, John Marshall: The Final Founder. 

Special Guests Kevin C. Walsh, President of the John Marshall Center for Constitutional History & Civics and Jennifer Hurst-Wender, Director of Museum Operations and Education at Preservation Virginia will also join the conversation to discuss how their organizations are working to preserve the legacy of John Marshall. 

This event is co-sponsored by the John Marshall Center for Constitutional History & Civics and Preservation Virginia's John Marshall House.

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Join Mount Vernon for a virtual book talk with Dr. Tamika Y. Nunley where we will discuss her book, At the Threshold of Liberty: Women, Slavery, and Shifting Identities in Washington, D.C.

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Join the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy and the Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington for a George Washington Leadership Lecture on Thursday, February 18, 2021, The United States and the World.

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Inspired by George Washington’s selfless dedication to public service, the Brookings Institution and Mount Vernon are hosting a free one-day conference as some of our nation's top government, business, and civic leaders explore how we can overcome today's great challenges.

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Join Mount Vernon for a virtual book talk with Dr. Donald F. Johnson where we will discuss his new book Occupied America: British Military Rule and the Experience of Revolution.

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George Goodwin will discuss his latest research on George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and the propaganda and intelligence that shaped the War of Independence.

This event is co-sponsored by the Benjamin Franklin House in London.

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Join the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy and the Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington for the annual George Washington Leadership Lecture on Monday, October 26, 2020, Electing a U.S. President - Then and Now.

REGISTRATION REQUIRED

This year's online symposium focuses on elections that shaped the American presidency.

Learn from some of the nation's leading historians about how Americans have elected their presidents from Washington's time to our own.

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The George Washington Symposium is supported by a generous endowment established by the Barra Foundation.

Additional support is provided by the Kinder Institute on Constitutional Democracy at the University of Missouri.

Join Washington College, The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, and George Washington's Mount Vernon for the live announcement of the winner of the 2020 George Washington Prize.

The George Washington Prize is one of the nation’s largest and most prestigious literary awards, recognizing the year’s best new books on early American history.

Pandemics in American History will take a comprehensive look at the various pandemics that have plagued our nation since its inception, providing context for today's crisis. We will examine the diseases, responses, and leadership during various key moments in our nation's collective health, as well as the outcomes that arguably may have changed the trajectory of history.

The Will of the People: The Revolutionary Birth of America by T.H. Breen

The 2020 Michelle Smith Lecture Series will include three presentations delivered by a cadre of outstanding authors over a period of three months. This series is supported by an endowment established by a generous grant from Robert H. and Clarice Smith.

This event will be broadcast on the web at the scheduled time. Visit the event page or click on "Learn More" below to view the talk. 

Franklin & Washington: The Founding Partnership by Edward J. Larson

The 2020 Michelle Smith Lecture Series will include three presentations delivered by a cadre of outstanding authors over a period of three months. A reception and book signing will take place after each lecture. This series is supported by an endowment established by a generous grant from Robert H. and Clarice Smith.

Washington's End: The Final Years and Forgotten Struggle by Jonathan Horn, in Conversation with Gen. David Petraeus

The 2020 Michelle Smith Lecture Series will include three presentations delivered by a cadre of outstanding authors over a period of three months. A reception and book signing will take place after each lecture. This series is supported by an endowment established by a generous grant from Robert H. and Clarice Smith.

Early Virginia was a complex place where English, Native, and African cultures merged, and often clashed, for the first time. This year, 2019, marks the four hundredth anniversary of two important events in the history of both Virginia and the United States: the meeting of the General Assembly, the first representative governing body in America, and the arrival of the first African slaves in mainland English America. Join leading historians and academics for an enlightening look at the cultures, demographics, economics, and social forces which drove the founding and earliest days of the Old Dominion. Speakers will examine a wide variety of topics, including the emergence of the plantation system, slavery, religion, Native cultures, the first women to arrive in the colony, and the earliest generations of the Washington family.

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Join the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy and the Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington for the annual George Washington Leadership Lecture on Thursday, October 17, 2019.

In 1790, George Washington tasked Gouverneur Morris, the American minister to France, to purchase a variety of fashionable French objects for decorating his presidential dining table. In making selections, Morris wrote that it was imperative “to fix the taste of our Country properly,” and that grounding the new nation in the classical tradition, which has “been fashionable above two thousand years,” was the means to achieve this.



These men and their contemporaries inhabited a world heavily influenced by ancient Rome and Greece. Classical references permeated their societies in everything from government to education, from drama to literature. With the archaeological discoveries of Pompeii and Herculaneum and the widespread popularity of Andrea Palladio’s designs, the realms of art and architecture also came to be dominated by classical forms and motifs. Washington himself embraced the classical spirit, and with his design for Mount Vernon’s “New Room,” took the lead in introducing neoclassicism to America. Join leading curators, historians, and art and architectural historians as they examine a wide variety of Greco-Roman styles, influences, references, and forms that early Americans admired and celebrated.



The Mount Vernon Symposium is endowed by the generous support of The Robert H. Smith Family Foundation, Lucy S. Rhame, The Felicia Fund, The Sachem Foundation, and Mr. and Mrs. Frank Mauran IV.

The 2019 Michelle Smith Lecture Series features three presentations from award-winning authors over a period of four months that includes Nick Bunker, Nathaniel Philbrick, and Rick Atkinson.  A reception and book signing will take place after each lecture. Individual tickets can be purchased for each program. This series is supported by an endowment established by a generous grant from Robert H. and Clarice Smith.

“A Sensible Woman Can Never be Happy with a Fool”:

The Women of George Washington’s World



"When the fire is beginning to kindle, and your heart growing warm, propound these questions to it… Is he a man of good character? A man of sense? for be assured a sensible woman can never be happy with a fool."



Thus wrote George Washington in a heartfelt 1796 letter to his step-granddaughter Eleanor (Nelly) Parke Custis on the subjects of love and marriage. Although the Father of Our Country was a leader among leaders in a male-dominated world, we know that he enjoyed a number of complex and meaningful relationships with women from all stations of the socially-stratified eighteenth century. Join leading historians and academics for an enlightening look at a wide variety of women from the General’s personal orbit, including his often misunderstood mother, an admiring poet, social confidants, a traitor to the Revolution, and a defiant runaway slave. We will also examine the memory of Washington through the legacies of his adoring step-granddaughters and the Southern Matron who led the charge in the 1850s to rescue his home and final resting place.