VMHC Lectures

On March 3, 2011, Daniel Crofts delivered a Banner Lecture entitled "The Diary of a Public Man and Abraham Lincoln." "The Diary of a Public Man," published anonymously in several installments in the North American Review in 1879, claimed to offer verbatim accounts of secret conversations with Abraham Lincoln, William H. Seward, and Stephen A. Douglas among others in the weeks just before the start of the Civil War. Despite repeated attempts to decipher the diary, historians never have been able to pinpoint its author or determine its authenticity. Part detective story, part biography, and part a detailed narrative of events in early 1861, A Secession Crisis Enigma presents a compelling answer to an enduring mystery. Dr. Crofts is a professor of history at The College of New Jersey. (Introduction by Paul A. Levengood)

On February 24, 2011, Ed Lengel delivered a Banner Lecture entitled 'Inventing George Washington: America's Founder in Myth and Memory.' In 'Inventing George Washington,' Edward G. Lengel shows how the former president and war hero continued to serve his nation on two distinct levels after his death. The public Washington evolved into an eternal symbol as the "Father of His Country," while the private man remained at the periphery of the national vision for successive generations. As some exalted Washington, others sought to bring him down to the earth, thus creating a series of competing mythologies that depicted Washington as every imaginable sort of human being. Dr. Lengel is editor-in-chief of the Washington Papers Project and a professor of history at the University of Virginia. (Introduction by Paul A. Levengood)

On January 13, 2011, Susan Kern discussed her book, 'The Jeffersons at Shadwell.'In The Jeffersons at Shadwell, Susan Kern merges archaeology, material culture, and social history to reveal the fascinating story of Shadwell, the birthplace of Thomas Jefferson and home to his parents, Jane and Peter Jefferson, their eight children, and more than sixty slaves. Kern's scholarship offers new views of the family's role in settling Virginia as well as new perspectives on Thomas Jefferson himself. The story of Shadwell affects how we interpret much of what we know about Thomas Jefferson today. Dr. Kern is a visiting assistant professor of history at the College of William and Mary. (Introduction by Paul A. Levengood)

On December 9, 2010, John Peters discussed his new book, 'Richmond's Hollywood Cemetery. One of America's great rural cemeteries, overlooking the falls of the James River, Hollywood provides a final resting place for Richmond's indeed, Virginia's political, business, and creative leaders, as well as 18,000 Confederate dead. Since before the Civil War, the elaborate ironwork, stone monuments, mausoleums, and natural setting have memorialized the varied lives of the individuals who have populated Virginia’s capital city. In this lecture based on his new book, 'Richmond's Hollywood Cemetery' , author and photographer John Peters brings these stories to life once more. (Introduction by Paul A. Levengood)

From the textile mills of Danville to the coal fields of Wise to the tobacco factories of Richmond, workers have rallied to songs of labor. The songs told of heavy work, unjust conditions, and union struggles and were typically performed in the musical styles of their native folk traditions. On December 2, 2010, historian Gregg Kimball along with singers Jackie Frost and Sheryl Warner performed songs by such Virginia musical luminaries as the Carter Family as well as rank-and-file workers who filled churches, labor halls, and strike lines to protest their working conditions.(Introduction by Paul A. Levengood)

On Thursday November 17, 2010, Gary W. Gallagher delviered a talk on "The Real Lost Cause: The Idea of Union in the Memory of the Civil War" at the Alexander W. Weddell Trustees Lecture. Next year we mark the 150th anniversary of the beginning of the Civil War. Only through the bloodiest conflict of our history did Americans resolve long-running disputes over Union and slavery. Ever since then, the significance of the war—its advent and its many outcomes—has stirred debate and study. In "The Real Lost Cause: The Idea of Union in the Memory of the Civil War," Gary W. Gallagher addressed the way North and South have reflected on the nature of what it meant to be a part of the United States of America. Dr. Gallagher is the Cavaliers' Distinguished Teaching Professor and Nau Professor of History at the University of Virginia and the author of "The Confederate War and Causes Won, Lost, and Forgotten: How Hollywood and Popular Art Shape What We Know about the Civil War." (Introduction by Paul A. Levengood)

On Thursday, November 4, 2010, Scott Reynolds Nelson discussed his book Steel Drivin' Man: John Henry, the Untold Story of an American Legend. According to the ballad that made him famous, John Henry did battle with a steam-powered drill, beat the machine, and died. Folklorists have long thought John Henry to be mythical, but historian Scott Nelson has discovered that he was a real person—a nineteen-year-old from New Jersey who was convicted of theft in a Virginia court in 1866, sentenced to ten years in the penitentiary, and put to work building the C and O Railroad. There, at the Lewis Tunnel, Henry and other prisoners worked alongside steam-powered drills. In his book, Nelson pieces together the biography of the real John Henry. It is also the story of work songs, songs that not only turned Henry into a folk hero but also, in reminding workers to slow down or die, were a tool of resistance and protest. This lecture complements the VHS exhibition Organized Labor in Virginia. Scott Reynolds Nelson teaches history at William and Mary.(Introduction by E. Lee Shepard)

On Thursday, October 13, 2010, Kate Chenery Tweedy discussed her book Secretariat's Meadow. Secretariat, the great red stallion who became the 1973 Triple Crown winner, was born on March 30, 1970, at The Meadow, a historic farm in Caroline County. The new book, Secretariat's Meadow, celebrates the farm, the family—especially Chris Chenery and his daughter, Penny—and Secretariat. The story is told by Penny Chenery's daughter, Kate Chenery Tweedy, with the assistance of her coauthor, Leeanne Ladin. More than 300 photos, most of which have never been seen, offer a magnificent visual journey to complement this special story in one of America's greatest sports moments.(Introduction by Paul A. Levengood)

On Thursday, October 28, 2010, Marie Tyler-McGraw discussed her book, An African Republic: Black and White Virginians in the Making of Liberia. The West African nation Liberia arose from the aspirations of the American Colonization Society, which attempted to persuade free blacks to emigrate from the United States to that colony. Ultimately, the colonization scheme failed, but Liberia endured. No state was more involved with the project than Virginia. Virginians figured prominently among both leaders of the ACS and among settlers building a new life in Africa. Though their paths rarely intersected, these black and white Virginians played key roles in founding Liberia. In this presentation based on her latest book, Marie Tyler-McGraw tells this compelling story of hope and misunderstanding, race and freedom. Also the author of a history of Richmond, Dr. Tyler-McGraw is an independent scholar and public historian. The lecture is co-sponsored by The Richmond Forum in conjunction with its November 6, 2010 program, featuring President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia.(Introduction by E. Lee Shepard)

On Thursday October 7, 2010, Gerald P. McCarthy discussed the Virginia Environmental Endowment. Since its inception in 1977, Virginia Environmental Endowment has had a profound influence throughout the Old Dominion. This lecture will focus on the origins, mission, and accomplishments of VEE. Gerald P. McCarthy will examine the effects of the endowment's grants on Virginia’s environment and the people who have helped to make those results possible. Sometimes described as "venture capital for environmental improvement in Virginia," VEE has played a unique role in the development of environmental research, education, and civic engagement. This lecture will address each of these aspects of its work and the strategic approach to grant making that has made VEE a leader within the foundation world. Mr. McCarthy is executive director of Virginia Environmental Endowment. (Introduction by Paul A. Levengood)