Brown Bag Lunch featuring Library Fellow John Phibbs
Bring your lunch and learn about Library Fellow John Phibbs's research project, The Influence of English Design on Mount Vernon’s Landscape.
Bring your lunch and learn about Library Fellow John Phibbs's research project, The Influence of English Design on Mount Vernon’s Landscape.
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.
In celebration of Presidents' Day, the Washington Presidential Library will be open to the public.
The collection at the Washington Library includes rare books and manuscripts that document the lives of George and Martha Washington and the history of Mount Vernon before 1853. The library holds more than 100 volumes from George Washington’s personal library.
Learn MoreJoin 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.
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.
Bring your lunch and learn about Music of the Revolution from Mount Vernon History Interpreter and Resident Fifer Don Francisco.
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.
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.
This event is Sold Out!
Learn MoreBring 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.
Bring your lunch and learn about Library Fellow Sarah Donovan's research project, Transplanted Whiteboys and Sons of Paxton: Patterns of Extralegal Violence in the British Atlantic World.
Hear from retired U. S. Navy admiral and chair of the President's Intelligence Advisory Board Sandy Winnefeld, author of Sailing Upwind: Leadership and Risk from TopGun to the Situation Room.
Admiral Winnefeld offers useful reflections regarding how he accepted and managed risk along the way, as well as a concise description of the qualities one must develop to become a successful leader.
Attendees will have the opportunity to submit questions and have their books signed. This event will be followed by a reception.
Hear from award-winning historian Edward G. Gray, author of Mason-Dixon: Crucible of the Nation.
Dr. Gray provides the first comprehensive history of the Mason-Dixon Line―a dramatic story of imperial rivalry and settler-colonial violence, the bonds of slavery and the fight for freedom.
Attendees will have the opportunity to submit questions and have their books signed.
Join us for lunch and compelling discussion with U.S. Marine Corps Major General Jason Bohm, who will discuss his new book Washington's Marines: The Origins of the Corps and the American Revolution, 1775-1777.
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.
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.
Lee & Toni Verstandig
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.
Hear from award-winning historian Cassandra A. Good, author of First Family: George Washington's Heirs and the Making of America.
Dr. Good shows how the outspoken stepgrandchildren of George Washington played an overlooked but important role in the development of American society and politics from the Revolution to the Civil War.
Attendees will have the opportunity to submit questions and have their books signed.
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.
Learn MoreHear from General David Petraeus and acclaimed British biographer Andrew Roberts, authors of Conflict: The Evolution of Warfare from 1945 to Ukraine.
Two leading authorities—an acclaimed historian and the outstanding battlefield commander and strategist of our time—collaborate on a landmark examination of war since 1945. Conflict is both a sweeping history of the evolution of warfare up to Putin’s invasion of the Ukraine, and a penetrating analysis of what we must learn from the past—and anticipate in the future—in order to navigate an increasingly perilous world.
Attendees will have the opportunity to submit questions and have their books signed.
We are completely full for in-person attendance, but welcome you to participate virtually.
Learn MoreThe 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.
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.
Learn MoreBring 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.
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!
Learn More TicketsThis 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.
We are completely full for in-person attendance, but welcome you to participate virtually.
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.
Hear from historian Andrew M. Wehrman, author of The Contagion of Liberty: The Politics of Smallpox in the American Revolution.
This is a timely and fascinating account of the raucous public demand for smallpox inoculation during the American Revolution and the origin of vaccination in the United States.
Attendees will have the opportunity to submit questions and have their books signed.
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.
This event was originally scheduled to take place live and in person, but is now being offered virtually only.
Hear from historian Jordan E. Taylor, author of Misinformation Nation: Foreign News and the Politics of Truth in Revolutionary America.
This provocative new book fundamentally reshapes our understanding of the causes of the American Revolution and the pivotal role foreign news and misinformation played in driving colonists to revolt against Britain and create a new nation.
Hear from Washington Post columnist Alexandra Petri, author of Alexandra Petri’s US History.
This witty, absurdist satire of the last 500 years is the fake textbook you never knew you needed! This side-splitting work of historical humor shows why Petri has been hailed as a “genius,” a “national treasure,” and “one of the funniest writers alive.”
Attendees will have the opportunity to submit questions and have their books signed.
Martha Washington actively supported the American Revolution and regularly visited her husband’s winter encampment. Hear how women took part in and contributed to the conflict which won the nation’s independence.
This event features Holly A. Mayer and Lorri Glover, contributors to the new book, Women Waging War in the American Revolution, in conversation with fellow historian Graham Hodges about women's diverse struggles for security and independence in the midst of war.
Following the lecture, guests will enjoy a reception that includes wine and beer, and a book signing.
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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 20th-century Los Angeles.
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.
Hear from Rachel E. Walker, author of Beauty and the Brain: The Science of Human Nature in Early America.
This fascinating new book examines the history of phrenology and physiognomy, proposing a bold new way of understanding the connection between science, politics, and popular culture in early America. Walker provides an important history of how people tried to read facial features as a mark of character for both conservative and radical purposes.
Attendees will have the opportunity to submit questions and have their books signed.
Hear from Benjamin L. Carp, author of The Great New York Fire of 1776: A Lost Story of the American Revolution. This exciting new book tells the untold story of who set the mysterious fire that burned down much of New York City shortly after the British took the city during the Revolutionary War. Carp takes readers on thorough investigation of the dramatic and catastrophic event, as well as its consequences for the city’s people and the Revolutionary cause.
Attendees will have the opportunity to submit questions and have their books signed.
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.
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.
Hear from Niall O'Dowd, author of George Washington and the Irish: Incredible Stories of the Irish, Spies, Soldiers, and Workers Who Helped Free America. This new book is the untold story of the vital role the Irish played in the American Revolution –not just on the battlefield but also in the field hospitals and in the framing of the Declaration of Independence. O'Dowd takes readers on a journey to explore the personal relationships between some of these men and women with the first president of the United States.
Attendees will have the opportunity to submit questions and have their books signed. This event will include an Irish-themed reception.
Philip Levy’s new book, The Permanent Resident: Excavations and Explorations of George Washington’s Life is an archaeological biography of the Father of Our Country which uncovers the physical remains of the major sites he lived at or visited--from his childhood home near Fredericksburg to Barbados and Mount Vernon--while also narrating their many, and shifting, afterlives in American popular memory.
Hear from the author at our free book talk and submit your questions. This event will be followed by a book signing.
Please join us for the official book launch of Edward J. Larson’s new book, American Inheritance: Liberty and Slavery in the Birth of a Nation 1765-1795. This is a powerful history that reveals how the twin strands of liberty and slavery were joined in the nation’s founding.
This wise and balanced account explores the dramatic lives and revealing words of both free and enslaved Americans who sought either to preserve or erase the pervasive tension between liberty and bondage in the Revolutionary era. This is the story of liberty and slavery in Revolutionary America, delivered with sensibility and nuance.
Hear from the author at our free book talk and submit your questions. This event will be followed by a book signing.
Women in George Washington's World is a stunning new collection of essays about women who were closely connected to the Father of Our Country, including some who had a tremendous amount of influence on him. This book includes the work of leading historians and is a must-read for anyone interested in learning about women in early America, as well as people in the General's personal orbit.
Hear from a panel of scholars at our free book talk and submit your questions.
Ricardo A. Herrera’s new book, Feeding Washington's Army: Surviving the Valley Forge Winter of 1778, examines the Continental Army’s leadership and performance through a major, but little-known, foraging operation undertaken during the Valley Forge winter of 1778.
This book moves far beyond oft-told tales of Valley Forge and digs deeply into its daily reality, revealing how close the Continental Army came to succumbing to starvation and how strong and resourceful its soldiers and leaders actually were.
Hear from the author at our free book talk and submit your questions. This event will be followed by a book signing.
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Learn MoreJoin 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:
In PersonVirtualVirtual for Students & Educators
The annual George Washington Symposium is supported by a generous endowment established by the Barra Foundation.
Learn MoreJoin 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.
Learn MoreThe 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.
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.
Learn MoreJoin us for the official book launch of Maurizio Valsania’s new book, First Among Men: George Washington and the Myth of American Masculinity. This compelling work dispels the many common myths about the first U.S. president while revealing a full, complete portrait of George Washington as readers have rarely seen him before.
Hear from the author at our free book talk and submit your questions. This event will be followed by a book signing.
John Avlon’s new book, Lincoln and the Fight for Peace, is a groundbreaking, revelatory history of the sixteenth president’s plan to secure a just and lasting peace after the Civil War—a vision that inspired future presidents as well as the world’s most famous peacemakers, including Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi, and Martin Luther King, Jr. This is a story of war and peace, race and reconciliation.
In his first book since Washington’s Farewell: The Founding Father’s Warning to Future Generations, Avlon continues to explore the history of the men who founded and saved the Union.
Hear from the author at our free book talk and submit your questions. This event will be followed by a book signing.
Hear about the groundbreaking new book The Papers of Martha Washington, a scholarly look at all of Martha Washington’s known correspondence that tells the story of the early U.S. from a female perspective.
Flora Fraser, author of the award-winning book The Washingtons, will be joined by Washington scholars to discuss the life of Martha Washington, women’s history, and the importance of this new volume.
Following the lecture, guests will enjoy a reception that includes wine and beer, a book signing with Flora Fraser, and the opportunity to view original letters from Martha Washington.
This annual event was created to share new scholarship and insights into the life and times of Martha Washington and is made possible through a generous grant from the Richard S. Reynolds Foundation of Richmond, Virginia.
Learn MoreLaura F. Edwards’s new book, Only the Clothes on Her Back: Clothing and the Hidden History of Power in the Nineteenth-Century United States, is an innovative recasting of U.S. legal and economic history through the power of clothing for those who lacked power and status in American society.
This new book offers engaging stories of people's lives, combining material culture and social history with legal history.
Hear from the author at our free book talk and submit your questions. This event will be followed by a book signing.
Mark A. Tabbert’s new book, A Deserving Brother presents a complete story of George Washington's association with Freemasonry. This new book documents the significance of Freemasonry in Washington’s life and career in a way that separates fact from fiction and will satisfy both historians and general readers, including today’s Freemasons.
Hear from the author at our free book talk and submit your questions. This event will be followed by a book signing.
The Old Presbyterian Meeting House in Alexandria, a local historic place with many connections to George Washington, is celebrating its 250th anniversary.
To help mark this momentous occasion, the Washington Library is hosting a special Ford Evening Book Talk featuring two local authors and their books, which are focused on history with Scottish and Calvinist themes.
Hear from the authors at our free book talk and submit your questions. This event will be followed by a book signing.
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.
The Mount Vernon Symposium is endowed by the generous support of The Robert H. Smith Family Foundation and Lucy S. Rhame.
Learn MoreJulie Flavell’s new book, The Howe Dynasty, provides a groundbreaking reinterpretation of one of England’s most famous military families across four wars through the eyes of the Howe women and radically recasts the American War of Independence as a civil war. This book is a finalist for the 2022 George Washington Prize.
Hear from the author at our free book talk and submit your questions. This event will be followed by a book signing.
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.
The Michelle Smith Lecture Series is supported by an endowment established by a generous grant from the late Robert H. and Clarice Smith.
Learn MoreCraig S. Chapman’s new book, Disaster on the Spanish Main: The Tragic British-American Expedition to the West Indies During the War of Jenkins' Ear, provides a beginning to end account of the ill-fated British expedition to conquer the West Indies in 1740-42. The campaign included George Washington's much beloved older brother Lawrence, who served under the famed Admiral Edward Vernon, for whom he later named the family estate in Virginia.
Hear from the author at our free book talk and submit your questions. This event will be followed by a book signing.
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Learn MoreHear 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.
The Michelle Smith Lecture Series is supported by an endowment established by a generous grant from the late Robert H. and Clarice Smith.
Learn MoreHolly A. Mayer’s new book, Congress's Own: A Canadian Regiment, the Continental Army, and American Union, reveals what the personal passions, hardships, and accommodations of the 2nd Canadian Regiment, nicknamed “Congress’s Own,” can tell us about the greater military and civil dynamics of the American Revolution. The author interweaves various insights to explore one of the first “national” regiments created by the Continental Congress in 1776, which drew members from Canada, 11 American states, and foreign forces.
Hear from the author at our free book talk and submit your questions. This event will be followed by a book signing.
Learn MoreGeorge Washington spent more of his working life farming than he did at war or in political office. On March 24, learn about Washington's role as a farmer during a lecture by Bruce Ragsdale, author of Washington at the Plow: The Founding Farmer and Question of Slavery by Bruce Ragsdale.
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.
The Michelle Smith Lecture Series is supported by an endowment established by a generous grant from the late Robert H. and Clarice Smith.
Learn MoreKeith Beutler’s new book, George Washington's Hair: How Early Americans Remembered the Founders, explains how, between 1790 and 1840, popular memory took a turn toward the physical, as exemplified by the craze for collecting locks of George Washington's hair. This book uncovers a forgotten strand of early American memory practices and emerging patriotic identity.
Hear from the author at our free book talk and submit your questions.
Learn MoreWoody Holton’s new book, Liberty is Sweet: The Hidden History of the American Revolution, explains how the Founders were influenced by marginalized Americans, such as women, Native Americans, African Americans, and religious dissenters.
Hear from the author at our free virtual book talk and submit your questions.
Four copies of Liberty is Sweet will be given away during the livestream.
Learn MoreSandra Moats’ new book, Navigating Neutrality: Early American Governance in the Turbulent Atlantic, describes how George Washington and his cabinet formulated policies to enforce neutrality across all three branches of the government and around the globe. This neutrality helped to build a U.S. government capable of supporting its global aspirations.
Hear from the author at our free book talk and submit your questions. This event will be followed by a book signing.
Learn MoreJoin us for lunch and compelling discussion with Charles S. Clark, a member of our 2020-21 class of research fellows, as he discusses his research topic and new book, George Washington Parke Custis: A Rarefied Life in America's First Family. A boxed lunch will be provided.
Learn MoreJoin us for a special evening honoring renowned scholar Dr. Gordon S. Wood. The Washington Library's Executive Director, Dr. Kevin Butterfield, will lead a robust conversation focused on Wood's remarkable career and transformational scholarship. They will also discuss Dr. Wood's new book, Power and Liberty: Constitutionalism in the American Revolution.
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.
An Evening with Gordon Wood is sponsored by a generous gift from Kay and Clark Musser.
1 Ticket + Book 2 Tickets + 1 Book
For 2 tickets and 1 book, choose "2" as your quantity during checkout.
Mount Vernon welcomes author Andrew Roberts to the Smith Theater to discuss his new book The Last King of America: The Misunderstood Reign of George III on Tuesday, November 16, 2021.
Learn MoreJoin 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:
The annual George Washington Symposium is supported by a generous endowment established by the Barra Foundation.
Learn MoreMount Vernon welcomes author Carolyn Eastman to the Smith Auditorium to discuss her new book The Strange Genius of Mr. O: The World of the United States' First Forgotten Celebrity on Wednesday, October 27, 2021.
Learn MoreThe 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 NASA’s Chief Scientist, Dr. James Green, in a discussion that will parallel George Washington’s age of exploration and discovery with our own time.
A reception will follow the lecture.
In-Person Attendance Virtual Attendance
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.
Learn MoreTake 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.
Learn MoreJoin us for lunch and compelling discussion with a member of our 2020-21 class of research fellows as he discusses his research topic, George Washington: Portrait of the First American Male. A boxed lunch will be provided.
Learn MoreThis year’s exciting program will explore why civic education was so important to America's Founding generation and what we are learning in the twenty-first century about how we should prepare students for a lifetime of citizenship.
This event will be followed by a reception.
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.
Learn MoreJoin 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.
1 ticket + Book 2 tickets + 1 Book
For 2 tickets and 1 book, choose "2" as your quantity during checkout.
Join Mount Vernon for a virtual Ford Evening Book Talk with Dr. Julie Flavell. We will discuss her new book The Howe Dynasty: The Untold Story of a Military Family and the Women Behind Britain's Wars for America.
Learn MoreMount Vernon welcomes author Christopher Pearl to the Smith Auditorium to discuss his new book Conceived in Crisis: The Revolutionary Creation of an American State on Thursday, August 19, 2021.
Learn MoreThis 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.
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.
Learn MoreJoin Mount Vernon for a virtual book talk with Dr. Katherine Carté to discuss her new book Religion and the American Revolution: An Imperial History.
Learn MoreMount Vernon welcomes author David O. Stewart to the Smith Auditorium to discuss his book George Washington: The Political Rise of America's Founding Father on Thursday, July 15, 2021.
David O. Stewart will be joined in conversation with the Washington Library's Executive Director, Kevin Butterfield.
Learn MoreThis year, the Annual Martha Washington Lecture pays special tribute to the groundbreaking career of Mary Wiseman, who recently retired from her role officially portraying Martha Washington at Mount Vernon for the past 17 years.
This annual event was created to share new scholarship and insights into the life and times of Martha Washington and is made possible through a generous grant from the Richard S. Reynolds Foundation of Richmond, Virginia.
Learn MoreJoin Mount Vernon for a digital Ford Evening Book Talk with Lorri Glover in conversation with the Washington Library's Reference Librarian, Samantha Snyder.
They will discuss Glover's new book, Eliza Lucas Pinckney: An Independent Woman in the Age of Revolution.
Learn MoreJoin 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.
Learn MoreJoin 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.
Learn MoreDuring 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.
Learn More Tickets Member TicketsJoin Mount Vernon for a digital Ford Evening Book Talk, and official book launch, with Patrick K. O'Donnell in conversation with the Washington Library's Executive Director, Kevin Butterfield.
They will discuss O'Donnell's new book, The Indispensables: The Diverse Soldier-Marines Who Shaped the Country, Formed the Navy, and Rowed Washington Across the Delaware.
Register to find out how you could win a copy of the book.
Learn MoreJoin Mount Vernon for a digital Ford Evening Book Talk with Stephen H. Browne in conversation with the Washington Library's Executive Director, Kevin Butterfield.
They will discuss Browne's new book, The First Inauguration: George Washington and the Invention of the Republic.
Learn MoreJoin 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).
Learn MoreJoin 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.
Learn MoreDuring 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.
Learn More Tickets Member TicketsDuring 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.
Learn More Tickets Member TicketsJoin Mount Vernon for a digital Ford Evening Book Talk with David Head in conversation with the Washington Library's Executive Director Kevin Butterfield.
They will discuss Head's new book, A Crisis of Peace: George Washington, the Newburgh Conspiracy, and the Fate of the American Revolution, which was a finalist for the 2020 George Washington Prize.
Learn MoreJoin 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.
Learn MoreJoin 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.
Learn MoreJoin 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.
Learn MoreJoin Mount Vernon for a virtual book talk with Dr. Marcus P. Nevius where we will discuss his latest book, City of Refuge: Slavery and Petit Marronage in the Great Dismal Swamp, 1763-1856.
Learn MoreJoin Mount Vernon for a digital Ford Evening Book Talk with Elaine A. Peña in conversation with the Washington Library's Executive Director Kevin Butterfield.
They will discuss Peña's new book, ¡Viva George! Celebrating Washington's Birthday at the US-Mexico Border.
Learn MoreInspired 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.
Learn MoreJoin 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.
Learn MoreJoin Mount Vernon for a digital Ford Evening Book Talk with historian Nathaniel C. Green in conversation with the Washington Library's Executive Director Kevin Butterfield.
They will discuss Green's new book, The Man of the People: Political Dissent and the Making of the American Presidency.
Learn More TicketsJoin Mount Vernon for a digital Ford Evening Book Talk with historian Jean H. Baker in conversation with Dr. Susan P. Schoelwer, Mount Vernon's Executive Director for Historic Preservation and Collections, and Robert H. Smith Senior Curator.
They will discuss Baker's new book, Building America: The Life of Benjamin Henry Latrobe.
Learn MoreJoin the Washington Library and James Monroe’s Highland for a virtual talk with Tim McGrath about his new book, James Monroe: A Life. Special Guest Dr. Sara Bon-Harper, Highland’s Executive Director, will also join us to discuss how recent archeological work is shedding new light on life at Highland.
This event is co-sponsored by James Monroe's Highland.
Learn MoreJoin Andrew O’Shaughnessy, Saunders Director of the Robert H. Smith International Center for Jefferson Studies at Monticello and Kevin Butterfield, Executive Director of the Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington at Mount Vernon for a virtual discussion with early career scholars breaking new ground in early American history.
Dr. O’Shaughnessy will talk with Drs. Alexi Garrett and Michael Blaakman about their recent work followed by Dr. Butterfield's conversation with Drs. Krysten Blackstone and Derek O’Leary about their new research.
This event is co-sponsored by the Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington at Mount Vernon and the Robert H. Smith International Center for Jefferson Studies at Monticello.
Join Mount Vernon for a digital Ford Evening Book Talk with acclaimed Washington scholar, Peter Henriques, in conversation with C-SPAN founder Brian Lamb.
They will discuss Henriques's new book, First and Always: A New Portrait of George Washington.
Learn MoreGeorge 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.
Learn MoreJoin 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.
Learn MoreThis 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.
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.
Learn MoreJoin Mount Vernon for a digital Ford Evening Book Talk with Nathan Raab in conversation with the Washington Library's Executive Director Kevin Butterfield.
They will discuss Raab's new book, The Hunt for History.
Learn MoreJoin 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.
Learn MorePandemics 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.
Learn MoreJoin Mount Vernon for a digital Ford Evening Book Talk with Richard Dietrich in conversation with Dr. Susan P. Schoelwer, Mount Vernon's Executive Director for Historic Preservation and Collections, and Robert H. Smith Senior Curator.
They will discuss the Dietrich American Foundation's new book, In Pursuit of History: A Lifetime Collecting Colonial American Art and Artifacts.
Learn MoreJoin Mount Vernon and the Benjamin Franklin House in London for a digital talk with author Edward J. Larson in conversation with Dr. Márcia Balisciano, Director of the Benjamin Franklin House, about the relationship between Benjamin Franklin and George Washington.
This event is co-sponsored by the Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington at Mount Vernon and the Benjamin Franklin House in London.
Learn MoreJoin Mount Vernon and Monticello for a digital talk with Dr. Frank Cogliano of the University of Edinburgh to discuss his project exploring the complicated relationship between George Washington and Thomas Jefferson.
This event is co-sponsored by the Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington at Mount Vernon and the Robert H. Smith International Center for Jefferson Studies at Monticello.
Learn MoreJoin Mount Vernon for a digital Ford Evening Book Talk with Dr. Stephanie Jones-Rogers in conversation with Kevin Butterfield, Executive Director of the Washington Library They will discuss Jones-Rogers's new book, They Were Her Property: White Women as Slave Owners in the American South.
Learn MoreJoin Mount Vernon and Monticello for a digital book talk with Dr. Laura Sandy of the University of Liverpool on her new book The Overseers of Early American Slavery. This event is co-sponsored by the Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington at Mount Vernon and the Robert H. Smith International Center for Jefferson Studies at Monticello.
Learn More TicketsJoin Mount Vernon for a digital book talk with Dr. Jessica Lowe where we will discuss her book Murder in the Shenandoah: Making Law Sovereign in Revolutionary Virginia.
Learn MoreArthur Burns and Zara Anishanslin will talk about their experiences with the Georgian Papers Programme.
Learn MoreJoin Mount Vernon for a digital Ford Evening Book Talk with Judge Douglas H. Ginsburg in conversation with noted philanthropist David M. Rubenstein. They will discuss Ginsburg's new book, Voices of Our Republic: Exploring the Constitution with Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Alan Dershowitz, Sandra Day O’Connor, Ron Chernow, and Many More.
Learn MoreThis year, the Annual Martha Washington Lecture will focus on Mary Ball Washington, George Washington's mother. Historians Martha Saxton, Craig Shirley, and Charlene Boyer Lewis will discuss their recent biographies of Mary Ball Washington and their research into 18th-century women in a conversation moderated by Karin Wulf.
This annual event was created to share new scholarship and insights into the life and times of Martha Washington and is made possible through a generous grant from the Richard S. Reynolds Foundation of Richmond, Virginia.
Click "Learn More" to watch the lecture live.
Learn MoreHistorian Jamie L. Goodall will discuss her new book, Pirates of the Chesapeake Bay with Washington Library's Jim Ambuske in this digital book talk.
Learn MoreMount Vernon welcomes historian Lindsay Chervinksy to discuss her new book, The Cabinet: George Washington and the Creation of an American Institution during this digital Ford Evening Book Talk.
Click "Learn More" to watch the lecture live.
Learn MoreJoin Mount Vernon for a conversation with Professor Paul Gilje from the University of Oklahoma, with Executive Director of the Washington Library Kevin Butterfield. They will discuss "Street Protests in America from the Founding to Today".
Learn MoreMount Vernon welcomes authors Ryan Manion, Heather Kelly, and Amy Looney Heffernan online live to discuss their book The Knock at the Door: Three Gold Star Families Bonded by Grief and Purpose on Wednesday, May 27, 2020. This talk will be moderated by journalist Mary Katharine Ham and feature a discussion with General John F. Kelly, U.S.M.C. (RET).
Click "Learn More" to watch the lecture live.
Learn MoreThe 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.
Learn MoreMount Vernon welcomes author Colin G. Calloway for an interview about his 2018 George Washington Prize-winning book The Indian World of George Washington: The First President, The First Americans, and the Founding of the Nation and other exciting subjects on Tuesday, May 12, 2020.
This event will be broadcast on the web at 7 pm. Visit the event page or click on "Learn More" below to view the talk.
Learn MoreMount Vernon welcomes author Matthew R. Costello to discuss his book The Property of the Nation: George Washington's Tomb, Mount Vernon, and the Memory of the First President on Thursday, April 16, 2020.
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.
Learn MoreFranklin & 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.
Learn MoreThe Washington Library's Digital Book Talk series features LIVE conversations with leading historians and scholars of early America. Please join us each week for fascinating discussions about the past and for your opportunity to ask our guests questions about their work.
Learn MoreWashington'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.
Learn MoreMount Vernon welcomes author Robert L. O'Connell to the Robert H. and Clarice Smith Auditorium to discuss his book Revolutionary: George Washington at War on Wednesday, February 12, 2020.
Learn More TicketsIn this special addition to the Ford Evening Book Talk series, Mount Vernon welcomes popular author Alexis Coe to the Robert H. and Clarice Smith Theater to discuss her new book You Never Forget Your First: A Biography of George Washington on Tuesday, February 4th, 2020.
Learn More TicketsMount Vernon welcomes author Mark Edward Lender to the Robert H. and Clarice Smith Auditorium to discuss his book Cabal! The Plot Against General Washington on Thursday, January 16, 2020.
Learn More TicketsJoin us for lunch and compelling discussion with a member of our 2019-20 class of research fellows as she discusses her research topic, Martha Washington and the Business of Slavery at Mount Vernon. A boxed lunch will be provided.
Learn More TicketsMount Vernon welcomes author D.A.B. Ronald to the Robert H. and Clarice Smith Auditorium to discuss his book The Life of John André: The Redcoat Who Turned Benedict Arnold on Thursday, December 5, 2019.
Learn More TicketsMount Vernon welcomes author David M. Rubenstein to the Robert H. and Clarice Smith Auditorium to discuss his book The American Story: Conversations with Master Historians on Sunday, November 10, 2019.
Learn MoreMount Vernon welcomes author John McCurdy to the Robert H. and Clarice Smith Auditorium to discuss his book Quarters: The Accommodation of the British Army and the Coming of the American Revolution on Thursday, November 7, 2019.
Learn More TicketsEarly 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.
Member TicketsNon-Member Tickets
Learn MoreJoin us for lunch and compelling discussion with a member of our 2019-20 class of research fellows as he discusses his research topic The Indispensables: A Band of Brothers and their Crucial Role Fighting the Revolution. A boxed lunch will be provided.
Learn More TicketsGet an insider’s look into the sophisticated floral stylings of a White House Chief Floral Designer. Join Laura as she shares her White House experiences, tips and techniques. Learn how she gleans inspiration for her trademark casually elegant, nature-inspired floral creations, and discover new trends and ideas for creating seasonal decorations and strategies for festive entertaining at home. Lunch at the Mount Vernon Inn is included.
Learn MoreJoin 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.
Learn More TicketsThe 2019 Founding Debates, made possible by the Ammerman Family Foundation, presents General Jim Mattis, in conversation with Mount Vernon President and CEO Doug Bradburn, discussing his #1 New York Times bestselling book, Call Sign Chaos.
Learn MoreMount Vernon welcomes author Joanne B. Freeman to the Robert H. and Clarice Smith Theater to discuss her book The Field of Blood: Violence in Congress and the Road to Civil War on Thursday, October 3, 2019.
Learn More TicketsThe Supreme Court Historical Society and The Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington at Mount Vernon have joined together to present this exciting lecture by Justice Neil Gorsuch, who will discuss his new book.
Learn More TicketsMount Vernon welcomes author Harlow Giles Unger to the Robert H. and Clarice Smith Auditorium to discuss his book Thomas Paine and the Clarion Call for American Independence on Tuesday, September 10, 2019.
Learn More TicketsJoin us for lunch and compelling discussion with a member of our 2018-19 class of research fellows as she discusses her research topic George Washington, Genealogist: Genealogy and Political Legacy in Washington’s America. A boxed lunch will be provided.
Learn More TicketsMount Vernon welcomes author Ryan Cole to the Robert H. and Clarice Smith Auditorium to discuss his book Light-Horse Harry Lee: The Rise and Fall of a Revolutionary Hero on Tuesday, August 13, 2019.
Learn More TicketsJoin an international roster of performers and historians as they explore and revive the music of Mount Vernon, and particularly its fascinating keyboard instruments.
Learn More TicketsListen to internationally recognized performers as they bring to life the sounds of the 18th century as once performed for the Washington's and their guests.
Music selections are drawn from Nelly Custis' favorites and popular music of the time. Nelly's reproduction harpsichord is highlighted with its versatility and unique range along with various period instruments.
Join us for lunch and compelling discussion with a member of our 2018-19 class of research fellows as he discusses his research topic “A Man to Whom the Whole World is Offering Incense”: The Founders Remember George Washington on Monday, July 8, 2019. A boxed lunch will be provided.
Learn More TicketsJoin us for lunch and compelling discussion with a member of our 2018-19 class of research fellows as he discusses his research topic Education and the Fight over Who Should Rule at Home in the Early Republic on Thursday, June 27, 2019. A boxed lunch will be provided.
Learn More TicketsMount Vernon welcomes author Brad Meltzer to the Robert H. and Clarice Smith Theater to discuss his book The First Conspiracy: The Secret Plot to Kill George Washington on Wednesday, June 26, 2019.
Learn More TicketsThe 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.
Learn MoreMount Vernon welcomes author and Chief Curator of the Frick Collection Xavier F. Salomon to the David M. Rubenstein Leadership Hall to discuss his book Canova's George Washington on Tuesday, June 4, 2019.
Learn More TicketsIn 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.
Learn MoreJoin us for lunch and compelling discussion with a member of our 2018-19 class of research fellows as he discusses his research topic George Washington, Benjamin Franklin and the Propaganda and Intelligence War in the British Isles and Europe During the American Revolution on Thursday, May 23, 2019. A boxed lunch will be provided.
Learn More TicketsMount Vernon welcomes Library research fellow Iris de Rode for a lecture on her discovery of an unexamined archive that introduces a heretofore-unknown pivotal figure in the American Revolution on Wednesday, May 15, 2019.
Learn More TicketsMount Vernon welcomes author Tom Clavin to the Robert H. and Clarice Smith Auditorium to discuss his book Valley Forge on Tuesday, May 7, 2019.
Learn More TicketsThe 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.
Learn MoreMount Vernon welcomes authors Brian Lamb, Douglas Brinkley, Edna Greene Medford, and Richard Norton Smith to the Robert H. and Clarice Smith Theater to discuss and debut their book The Presidents: Noted Historians on the Lives and Leadership of America's Best--and Worst--Chief Executives on Tuesday, April 23, 2019.
Learn More TicketsMount Vernon welcomes author Carla McClafferty to the Robert H. and Clarice Smith Auditorium to discuss her book for young adults titled Buried Lives: The Enslaved People of George Washington's Mount Vernon on Thursday, April 11, 2019. The event will also feature a presentation from Mount Vernon's archaeology department, highlighting recent discoveries from the Slave Cemetery and about the enslaved population.
Learn More TicketsThe 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.
Learn MoreIn observance of Women's History Month, Mount Vernon and the Washington Library welcome historians Catherine Allgor, Patricia Brady, and Woody Holton to the David M. Rubenstein Leadership Hall on Thursday, March 14, 2019. Moderated by Ann Compton, these scholars will discuss their research regarding pivotal First Ladies following Martha Washington's example in a program titled, In the Footsteps of Martha: The Wives of Early U.S. Presidents. A cocktail reception will follow.
This annual event was created to share new scholarship and insights into the life and times of Martha Washington and is made possible through a generous grant from the Richard S. Reynolds Foundation of Richmond, Virginia.
Learn More TicketsMount Vernon welcomes author Eric Lomazoff to the David M. Rubenstein Leadership Hall to discuss his book Reconstructing the National Bank Controversy: Politics and Law in the Early American Republic on Wednesday, March 6, 2019.
Learn More TicketsMount Vernon welcomes author Catherine Kerrison to the Robert H. and Clarice Smith Theater to discuss her book Jefferson's Daughters: Three Sisters, White and Black, in a Young America on Thursday, February 21, 2019.
Learn More TicketsJoin us for lunch and compelling discussion with artist Ray Simon as he discusses his previous work as well as his new painting of George Washington titled, Divine Providence on Thursday, February 7, 2019. This piece will also be unveiled to the public at the program. A boxed lunch will be provided.
Learn More TicketsMount Vernon welcomes author Patrick Spero to the Robert H. and Clarice Smith Auditorium to discuss his book Frontier Rebels: The Fight for Independence in the American West, 1765-1776 on Wednesday, January 30, 2019.
Learn More TicketsJoin us for lunch and compelling discussion with a member of our 2018-19 class of research fellows as she discusses her research topic A Harpsichord as Cultural Narrator: Eleanor Parke Custis and Music-Making at Mount Vernon on Thursday, January 24, 2019. A boxed lunch will be provided.
Learn More TicketsMount Vernon welcomes author Robert P. Watson to the Robert H. and Clarice Smith Auditorium to discuss his book The Ghost Ship of Brooklyn: An Untold Story of the American Revolution on Thursday, December 6, 2018.
Learn More TicketsJoin us for lunch and compelling discussion Joanne Harvey as she discusses the topic, Implements of Loving Labor: Historic Needlework, Tools, and Other Feminine Curiosities on Thursday, December 6, 2018. A boxed lunch will be provided.
Learn More TicketsThe Mount Vernon Ladies' Association is proud to present this educational series delivered by the 2018 Mount Vernon Distinguished Lecturer of American History Mary Sarah Bilder. This series is designed to provide a deeper understanding of, and expertise in, a particular subject related to George Washington. A reception and book signing will take place after each lecture.
Individual event tickets are available for the November 29 program. The final lecture will also be taking place inside the Rubenstein Leadership Hall within the Washington Library.
Learn MoreMount Vernon welcomes author Richard Brookhiser to the Robert H. and Clarice Smith Theater to discuss his book John Marshall: The Man Who Made the Supreme Court on Wednesday, November 28, 2018.
Learn More Tickets“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.
Mount Vernon welcomes author Peter Stark to the Robert H. and Clarice Smith Auditorium to discuss his book Young Washington: How Wilderness and War Forged America’s Founding Father on Thursday, October 25, 2018.
Learn More TicketsPlease join the the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy and the Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington for a conversation with Congressman Alan Lowenthal and Professor David Sloane, followed by a panel discussion on gerrymandering issues and solutions on Thursday, October 18, 2018.
Learn More TicketsThe Mount Vernon Ladies' Association is proud to present this educational series delivered by the 2018 Mount Vernon Distinguished Lecturer of American History Mary Sarah Bilder. This series is designed to provide a deeper understanding of, and expertise in, a particular subject related to George Washington. A reception and book signing will take place after each lecture.
Individual event tickets are available for the November 29 program. The final lecture will also be taking place inside the Rubenstein Leadership Hall within the Washington Library.
Learn MoreWhat it Means to be an American: History, Memory, and Identity
Americanness has been debated since the nation’s founding. Two panels of esteemed historians and journalists will join the Washington Library on its five-year anniversary for a debate about what it meant—and what it means—to be an American.
The Founding Debates are sponsored by The Ammerman Family Foundation to honor James C. Rees, whose vision lives on with the Washington Library.
Learn More TicketsThe Mount Vernon Ladies' Association is proud to present this educational series delivered by the 2018 Mount Vernon Distinguished Lecturer of American History Mary Sarah Bilder. This series is designed to provide a deeper understanding of, and expertise in, a particular subject related to George Washington. A reception and book signing will take place after each lecture.
Individual event tickets are available for the November 29 program. The final lecture will also be taking place inside the Rubenstein Leadership Hall within the Washington Library.
Learn MoreMount Vernon welcomes authors Donald R. Kennon, Don Alexander Hawkins, Charles Carroll Carter, and Pamela Scott to the Robert H. and Clarice Smith Theater to discuss their book Creating Capitol Hill: Place, Proprietors, and People on Thursday, September 13, 2018.
Learn More TicketsIn celebration of the five-year anniversary of the Washington Library, please join us for lunch and compelling discussion with the Library's new Executive Director, Dr. Kevin C. Butterfield, as he discusses the topic George Washington and the Idea of Secrecy on Tuesday, September 11, 2018. A boxed lunch will be provided.
Learn More TicketsJoin us for lunch and compelling discussion with a member of our 2017-18 class of research fellows as she discusses her research topic The Hardest Conflict: Morale and Identity in the Continental Army during the American Revolution, 1775-1783 on Tuesday, August 14, 2018. A boxed lunch will be provided.
Learn More TicketsMount Vernon welcomes author Craig Bruce Smith to the Robert H. and Clarice Smith Auditorium to discuss his book American Honor: The Creation of the Nation's Ideals during the Revolutionary Era on Thursday, August 9, 2018.
Learn More TicketsJoin us for lunch and compelling discussion with a member of our 2017-18 class of research fellows as he discusses his research topic The Proclamation of 1763 and the Idea of a Beautiful America on Tuesday, July 24, 2018. A boxed lunch will be provided.
Learn More TicketsMount Vernon welcomes author Gonzalo M. Quintero Saravia to the Robert H. and Clarice Smith Auditorium to discuss his book Bernardo de Gálvez: Spanish Hero of the American Revolution on Thursday, July 5, 2018.
Learn More TicketsMount Vernon welcomes author Colin G. Calloway to the Robert H. and Clarice Smith Auditorium to discuss his book The Indian World of George Washington: The First President, the First Americans, and the Birth of the Nation on Wednesday, June 13, 2018.
Learn More TicketsMount Vernon welcomes Washington Library Cabinet member and author Eric L. Motley to the David M. Rubenstein Leadership Hall to discuss his book Madison Park: A Place of Hope on Thursday, June 7, 2018.
Learn More TicketsJoin leading curators, historians, and art historians as they examine a wide variety of styles, objects, methods, and techniques which crisscrossed the Atlantic between Britain and America.
Learn More TicketsJoin us for lunch and compelling discussion with a member of our 2017-18 class of research fellows as she discusses her research topic The Traitor’s Wife: Peggy Arnold and Revolutionary America on Thursday, May 17, 2018. A boxed lunch will be provided.
Learn More TicketsThe 2018 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.
Final Lecture in the Series:
May 8 - Patrick Henry: Champion of Liberty by Jon Kukla
Single lecture tickets can still be purchased for the May 8th program. Please click the link below to learn more about this option.
Learn MoreMount Vernon welcomes author Kate Elizabeth Brown to the Robert H. and Clarice Smith Auditorium to discuss her book Alexander Hamilton and the Development of American Law on Thursday, May 3, 2018.
This event will also feature a presentation from the Virginia Society of the Sons of the American Revolution to Mount Vernon in support of the George Washington Friends and Enemies project.
Learn More TicketsMount Vernon welcomes author Steven C. Bullock to the Robert H. and Clarice Smith Auditorium to discuss his book Tea Sets and Tyranny: The Politics of Politeness in Early America on Thursday, April 26, 2018.
Learn More TicketsThe 2018 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.
Final Lecture in the Series:
May 8 - Patrick Henry: Champion of Liberty by Jon Kukla
Single lecture tickets can still be purchased for the May 8th program. Please click the link below to learn more about this option.
Learn MoreMount Vernon welcomes author Joseph F. Stoltz III to the Robert H. and Clarice Smith Auditorium to discuss his book A Bloodless Victory: The Battle of New Orleans in History and in Memory on Tuesday, April 3, 2018.
*Due to inclement weather in the Washington, D.C. area, this event has been rescheduled to Tuesday, April 3, 2018. If you have reserved a ticket for the previous date, you will automatically be on the registration list for this program.
Learn More TicketsIn observance of Women's History Month, Mount Vernon and the Washington Library welcome historians Martha Saxton and Cynthia Kierner to the David M. Rubenstein Leadership Hall on Thursday, March 29, 2018. Moderated by current Washington Library research fellow and professor of History at Kalamazoo College, Charlene Boyer Lewis, these scholars will discuss their groundbreaking, new research in a program titled, “Keep all matters in order your self…”: Two Women from the 18th-Century South. A cocktail reception and object viewing will follow.
This annual event was created to share new scholarship and insights into the life and times of Martha Washington and is made possible through a generous grant from the Richard S. Reynolds Foundation of Richmond, Virginia.
Learn More TicketsJoin us for lunch and compelling discussion with artist Igor V. Babailov on Wednesday, March 28, 2018. The program will last around one and a half hours, featuring a presentation on Babailov's previous work such as his portrait of George Washington titled, My Beloved Country and a live portrait demonstration. A boxed lunch will be provided.
Learn More TicketsThe 2018 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.
Final Lecture in the Series:
May 8 - Patrick Henry: Champion of Liberty by Jon Kukla
Single lecture tickets can still be purchased for the May 8th program. Please click the link below to learn more about this option.
Learn MoreMount Vernon welcomes author Kevin J. Hayes to the Robert H. and Clarice Smith Auditorium to discuss his book George Washington: A Life in Books on Wednesday, February 21, 2018.
Learn More TicketsIn observance of George Washington’s Birthday, the Washington Library invites you to join us for lunch and compelling discussion on Tuesday, February 20, 2018 with the Robert H. Smith Senior Curator at George Washington's Mount Vernon, Susan P. Schoelwer. Her lecture for this special program is titled, The Face of the Nation: Crowd-Sourcing George Washington. A boxed lunch will be provided.
Learn More TicketsJoin us for lunch and compelling discussion with a member of our 2017-18 class of research fellows as she discusses her research topic In Memory of the Best: The Classical Commemoration of American Presidents in the Nineteenth Century on Thursday, February 15, 2018. A boxed lunch will be provided.
Learn More TicketsMount Vernon welcomes authors Lea Berman and Jeremy Bernard to the Robert H. and Clarice Smith Theater to discuss their book Treating People Well: The Extraordinary Power of Civility at Work and in Life on Thursday, January 18, 2018. The event will be moderated by Roxanne Roberts, a reporter and feature writer for the Style section of The Washington Post. A reception with a cash bar will be available to guests following the evening's program. Please note that the Mount Vernon Inn will be closed.
Learn More TicketsMount Vernon welcomes author Paul Staiti to the Robert H. and Clarice Smith Theater to discuss his book Of Arms and Artists: The American Revolution through Painters' Eyes on Wednesday, December 13, 2017.
Learn More TicketsTo celebrate the four-year anniversary of the opening of the Washington Library, the Library is hosting an old-fashioned debate regarding the Freedom of the Press moderated by Mark Preston. The Founding Debates are sponsored by The Ammerman Family Foundation to honor James C. Rees, whose vision lives on with the Washington Library.
Learn More TicketsThe Mount Vernon Ladies' Association is proud to present this educational series delivered by the Gay Hart Gaines Distinguished Visiting Lecturer in American History, a position established to honor the Association's 18th Regent through the generosity of Lewis E. Lehrman, co-founder of the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. This series is designed to provide a deeper understanding of, and expertise in, a particular subject related to George Washington. This year's lecturer is Gordon S. Wood.
A few single event tickets remain for the third and final lecture in this series. These tickets can be purchased using the TICKETS link provided.
Learn More TicketsMount Vernon welcomes authors Mark Edward Lender and Garry Wheeler Stone to the Robert H. and Clarice Smith Auditorium to discuss their book Fatal Sunday: George Washington, the Monmouth Campaign, and the Politics of Battle on Thursday, November 9, 2017.
Learn More TicketsDuring his exciting and well-traveled lifetime, the Father of Our Country slept in a great number of beds, and today, historic sites from Maine to Georgia proudly proclaim that “George Washington Slept Here.” Join leading historians, curators, and academics for an enlightening look at the wide variety of places where Washington lived or visited, including his early years on the frontier, the tropical island of Barbados, his war-time headquarters in Massachusetts, and the nearby capitol city of Annapolis. We will also explore his collection of maps and surveys, learn about his adventurous journey to the Southern States in 1791, and examine many of the actual beds he slept on.
Learn MoreJoin us for lunch and compelling discussion with a member of our 2017-18 class of research fellows as she discusses her research topic America’s First Band of Brothers: Friendship, Camaraderie, and Collusion within the Continental Army during the Revolutionary Era on Thursday, October 26. A boxed lunch will be provided.
Learn More TicketsThe Mount Vernon Ladies' Association is proud to present this educational series delivered by the Gay Hart Gaines Distinguished Visiting Lecturer in American History, a position established to honor the Association's 18th Regent through the generosity of Lewis E. Lehrman, co-founder of the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. This series is designed to provide a deeper understanding of, and expertise in, a particular subject related to George Washington. This year's lecturer is Gordon S. Wood.
A few single event tickets remain for the third and final lecture in this series. These tickets can be purchased using the TICKETS link provided.
Learn More TicketsMount Vernon welcomes David and Ginger Hildebrand to the David M. Rubenstein Leadership Hall to discuss David's new book Musical Maryland: A History of Song and Performance from the Colonial Period to the Age of Radio on Thursday, October 19, 2017. Throughout the discussion, the Hildebrands will perform on a variety of colonial-era instruments.
Learn More TicketsPlease join the the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy and the Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington for a conversation with former U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Henry Cisneros, on Thursday, October 12, 2017. A reception will follow the discussion.
Learn More TicketsJoin us for lunch and compelling discussion with the Honorable Hugh Fairfax, a descendant of Thomas 6th Lord Fairfax, the Proprietor of the Northern Neck of Virginia, and brother of Nicholas, 14th Lord Fairfax, as he discusses his new book Fairfax of Virginia: The Forgotten Story of America’s only Peerage, 1690-1960 on Wednesday, October 11, 2017. A boxed lunch will be provided.
Learn More TicketsMount Vernon welcomes author S. Max Edelson to the Robert H. and Clarice Smith Auditorium to discuss his book The New Map of Empire: How Britain Imagined America Before Independence on Tuesday, October 3, 2017.
Learn More TicketsPlease join George Washington's Mount Vernon and the Virginia Law Foundation for the Third Annual Constitutional Institute, exploring Freedom of the Press - Constitutional Protections, “Fake News,” and Where Do We Go from Here?, on September 28 and 29, 2017 at the Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington. This program is generously supported by the Claude Moore Charitable Foundation.
Learn More TicketsJoin us for lunch and compelling discussion with a member of our 2016-17 class of research fellows as he discusses his research topic A Merchant’s Republic: Independence, Depression, and the Development of American Capitalism, 1760-1807 on Wednesday, September 13. A boxed lunch will be provided.
Learn More TicketsThe Mount Vernon Ladies' Association is proud to present this educational series delivered by the Gay Hart Gaines Distinguished Visiting Lecturer in American History, a position established to honor the Association's 18th Regent through the generosity of Lewis E. Lehrman, co-founder of the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. This series is designed to provide a deeper understanding of, and expertise in, a particular subject related to George Washington. This year's lecturer is Gordon S. Wood.
A few single event tickets remain for the third and final lecture in this series. These tickets can be purchased using the TICKETS link provided.
Learn More TicketsMount Vernon welcomes author Carol Berkin to the Robert H. and Clarice Smith Auditorium to discuss her book A Sovereign People: The Crises of the 1790s and the Birth of American Nationalism on Thursday, September 7, 2017.
Learn More TicketsPlease join us for lunch and compelling discussion with a member of the Washington Library's 2016-17 class of research fellows as he discusses his research topic, Envisioning Empire on the British-American Frontier: What did the West mean to George Washington? on Wednesday, August 30. A boxed lunch will be provided.
Learn More TicketsJoin us for lunch and compelling discussion with a member our 2016-17 class of fellows as she discusses her research topic Protestant Relics: The Politics of Religion & the Art of Mourning in the Early American Republic on Tuesday, August 22, 2017. A boxed lunch will be provided.
Learn More TicketsMount Vernon welcomes author Philip G. Smucker to the Robert H. and Clarice Smith Auditorium to discuss his book Riding with George: Sportsmanship and Chivalry in the Making of America's First President on Wednesday, August 2, 2017.
Learn More TicketsMount Vernon welcomes author Larrie D. Ferreiro to the Robert H. and Clarice Smith Auditorium to discuss his book Brothers at Arms: American Independence and the Men of France and Spain Who Saved It on Tuesday, July 11, 2017.
Learn More TicketsMount Vernon welcomes author Matthew Mason to the Robert H. and Clarice Smith Auditorium to discuss his book Apostle of Union: A Political Biography of Edward Everett on Thursday, June 15, 2017.
Learn More TicketsJoin leading gardeners, historians, horticulturalists, archaeologists, and preservationists as they reconsider the importance of gardening, landscapes, and design in early America.
Learn More TicketsMount Vernon welcomes author Edward Gray to the Robert H. and Clarice Smith Auditorium to discuss his book Tom Paine's Iron Bridge: Building a United States on May 16, 2017.
Learn More TicketsThe 2017 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. Participation is by subscription to the entire series.
Learn MoreThe 2017 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. Participation is by subscription to the entire series.
Learn MoreMount Vernon welcomes author Michael J. Klarman to the Robert H. and Clarice Smith Theater to discuss his book The Framers' Coup: The Making of the United States Constitution on Tuesday, April 11, 2017.
Learn More TicketsThe 2017 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. Participation is by subscription to the entire series.
Learn MoreJoin us for lunch and compelling discussion with the Washington Library's first Georgian Papers Fellow, Dr. Bruce Ragsdale, as he discusses his work at the Royal Archives in London and Windsor Castle. A boxed lunch will be provided.
Learn More TicketsMount Vernon and the Fred W. Smith Library welcome Flora Fraser and Zara Anishanslin to the David M. Rubenstein Leadership Hall to discuss 18th-Century Women as Consumers on Both Sides of the Atlantic on Thursday March 16, 2017.
Learn More TicketsJoin us for lunch and compelling discussion with a member of the 2016-17 class of research fellows as he discusses his findings at the Washington Library on Wednesday, March 15, 2017. A boxed lunch will be provided.
Learn More TicketsMount Vernon welcomes author John Steele Gordon to the Robert H. and Clarice Smith Auditorium to discuss his book Washington's Monument: And the Fascinating History of the Obelisk on Wednesday, March 1, 2017.
Learn More TicketsPlease join us for lunch and compelling discussion with Jennifer Stertzer, Erica Cavanaugh, and Adrina Garbooshian-Huggins from the Financial Papers of George Washington Project at the Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington on Wednesday, February 22, 2017. A boxed lunch will be provided.
Learn More TicketsMount Vernon welcomes author Erica Armstrong Dunbar to the David M. Rubenstein Leadership Hall to discuss her book Never Caught: The Washingtons' Relentless Pursuit of their Runaway Slave, Ona Judge on Wednesday, February 15, 2017.
Learn More TicketsMount Vernon welcomes author John Avlon to the Robert H. and Clarice Smith Theater to discuss his book Washington's Farewell: The Founding Father's Warning to Future Generations on Wednesday, February 1, 2017.
Learn More TicketsMount Vernon welcomes author Kathleen DuVal to the Robert H. and Clarice Smith Theater to discuss her book Independence Lost: Lives on the Edge of the American Revolution on Wednesday, January 18, 2017.
Learn More TicketsMount Vernon welcomes author Lydia Brandt to the Robert H. and Clarice Smith Auditorium to discuss her book First in the Homes of His Countrymen: George Washington's Mount Vernon in the American Imagination on Wednesday, December 7, 2016.
Learn More TicketsMount Vernon welcomes author John Sedgwick to the Robert H. and Clarice Smith Theater to discuss his book War of Two: Alexander Hamilton, Aaron Burr, and the Duel that Stunned the Nation on Wednesday, November 16, 2016.
Learn MoreAs America endures one of the most contentious and expensive presidential campaigns in history, this year’s George Washington Symposium will focus on the nation’s first and best president, and the remarkable administration that laid the foundation for all who would follow in his footsteps.
Learn More TicketsThe Mount Vernon Ladies' Association is proud to present this educational series delivered by the Gay Hart Gaines Distinguished Visiting Lecturer in American History, Richard Brookhiser. This series is designed to provide a deeper understanding of, and expertise in, a particular subject related to George Washington. This year's subject is Washington and Politics: In His Life, and After.
Please join us for lunch and compelling discussion with a member of the 2016-2017 class of fellows as he presents his findings at the Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington on Wednesday, October 26, 2016.
Learn More TicketsMount Vernon welcomes author Lorri Glover to the David M. Rubenstein Leadership Hall to discuss her book The Fate of the Revolution: Virginians Debate the Constitution on Thursday, October 20, 2016.
Learn More TicketsPlease join the Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington and the Omohundro Institute of Early American History and Culture for a roundtable discussion of race and slavery in history and popular culture, focused on The History Channel’s recent retelling of Alex Haley’s Roots.
Learn More TicketsThe Mount Vernon Ladies' Association is proud to present this educational series delivered by the Gay Hart Gaines Distinguished Visiting Lecturer in American History, Richard Brookhiser. This series is designed to provide a deeper understanding of, and expertise in, a particular subject related to George Washington. This year's subject is Washington and Politics: In His Life, and After.
Please join the the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy and the Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington for a conversation with FBI Director James Comey on Monday, October 3, 2016.
Learn More TicketsPlease join George Washington's Mount Vernon and the Virginia Law Foundation for the Second Annual Constitutional Institute, exploring The Constitutionality of Executive Orders and Their Use Since Washington's Time, on September 29 and 30, 2016 at the Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington. This program is generously supported by the Claude Moore Charitable Foundation.
Learn More TicketsTo celebrate the three-year anniversary of the opening of the Washington Library, we are joining forces with the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia to host an old-fashioned debate entitled Hamilton v. Jefferson on Executive Power: What Would Washington Say?
Learn More TicketsJoin us for an engaging evening of conversation as Dr. Edward J. Larson discusses his new book George Washington, Nationalist on Thursday, September 22, 2016.
Learn More TicketsMount Vernon welcomes author Mary Sarah Bilder to the Robert H. and Clarice Smith Theater to discuss her book Madison's Hand: Revising the Constitutional Convention on Thursday, September 15th, 2016.
Learn More TicketsThe Mount Vernon Ladies' Association is proud to present this educational series delivered by the Gay Hart Gaines Distinguished Visiting Lecturer in American History, Richard Brookhiser. This series is designed to provide a deeper understanding of, and expertise in, a particular subject related to George Washington. This year's subject is Washington and Politics: In His Life, and After.
Mount Vernon welcomes author Warren Bingham to the Robert H. and Clarice Smith Auditorium to discuss his book George Washington's 1791 Southern Tour on Tuesday, August 30th, 2016.
Learn More TicketsJoin us for lunch and compelling discussion with a member of the 2015-16 class of fellows as she discusses her research and findings at the Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington.
Learn More TicketsJoin us for lunch and compelling discussion with a member of our 2015-2016 class of fellows as he presents his findings and research at the Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington.
Learn More TicketsPlease join us for lunch and compelling discussion with a member of our 2015-2016 class of fellows as he presents his findings and research at the Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington.
Learn More TicketsMount Vernon welcomes author Patrick K. O'Donnell to the Robert H. and Clarice Smith Auditorium to discuss his book Washington's Immortals: The Untold Story of an Elite Regiment Who Changed the Course of the Revolution on July 5, 2016.
Learn More TicketsJoin us for lunch and compelling discussion with a member of our 2015-2016 class of fellows as he presents his findings and research at the Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington.
Learn MoreMount Vernon welcomes author Fergus M. Bordewich to the Robert H. and Clarice Smith Auditorium to discuss his book The First Congress: How James Madison, George Washington, and a Group of Extraordinary Men Invented the Government on June 9, 2016.
The 2016 Mount Vernon Art and Architecture Symposium draws together leading curators, historians, art historians, and preservationists as they reconsider iconic images and landmark structures of early America. Retrace the steps of artists whose unforgettable images of the Revolution and its heroes still shape American identity. Revisit long-lost interiors that gave physical form to the ideals and aspirations of the new Republic, from Baltimore garden rooms, to Boston parlors, to Mount Vernon’s piazza.
Learn More TicketsMount Vernon welcomes author Nathaniel Philbrick to the Robert H. and Clarice Smith Auditorium to discuss his book Valiant Ambition: George Washington, Benedict Arnold, and the Fate of the American Revolution on May 10, 2016.
Learn More TicketsMount Vernon welcomes authors and historians Annette Gordon-Reed and Peter S. Onuf to the Robert H. and Clarice Smith Auditorium to discuss their new book "Most Blessed of the Patriarchs:" Thomas Jefferson and the Empire of the Imagination, on Thursday May 5, 201
Learn More TicketsMount Vernon welcomes author and historian Adrienne M. Harrison to the David M. Rubenstein Leadership Hall at The Fred W. Smith National Library to discuss her new book A Powerful Mind: The Self Education of George Washington on May 3, 2016
Learn More TicketsThe Supreme Court Historical Society and The Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington at Mount Vernon have joined together to present two lectures, one at the Supreme Court and the other at Mount Vernon, which will examine George Washington’s essential role in shaping the judicial branch of our nation’s government.
Learn More TicketsApril is National Poetry Month, and to help celebrate this important literary occasion, the Washington Library invites you to an afternoon of Tea and Fellowship with Ron Smith, the Poet Laureate of Virginia.
Learn More TicketsThe Supreme Court Historical Society and The Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington at Mount Vernon have joined together to present two lectures, one at the Supreme Court and the other at Mount Vernon, which will examine George Washington’s essential role in shaping the judicial branch of our nation’s government.
Learn More TicketsThe Supreme Court Historical Society and The Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington at Mount Vernon have joined together to present two lectures, one at the Supreme Court and the other at Mount Vernon, which will examine George Washington’s essential role in shaping the judicial branch of our nation’s government.
Learn More TicketsMount Vernon welcomes author and historian Cokie Roberts to the Robert H. and Clarice Smith Auditorium to discuss her new book Capital Dames: The Civil War and the Women of Washington, 1848-1868, on Thursday April 7, 2016.
Learn More Tickets