Virginia Historical Society Podcast

On April 2, 2009, David Brown and Thane Harpole delivered this lecture entitled 'Werowocomoco and Fairfield Plantation: Rediscovering the Forgotten Landscapes of Gloucester County.' The excitement of discovering lost landscapes, including the Burwell family's ancestral home and the nearby village of Powhatan and Pocahontas, has resulted in the resurgence of support for historic preservation in the Middle Peninsula. David Brown and Thane Harpole described these activities to illustrate everyday life in colonial Virginia and to show how our interpretations of it influence our own day. Brown and Harpole are archaeologists, co-directors of the Fairfield Foundation, and founding members of the Werowocomoco Research Group. (Introduction by Paul A. Levengood)

On April 16, 2009, Lorri Glover delivered a Banner Lecture entitled The Shipwreck That Saved Jamestown: The Sea Venture Castaways and the Fate of America. The wreck of the Sea Venture on Bermuda in 1609 and the role its survivors played in the eventual rescue of the failing colony at Jamestown are dramatic tales from the founding years of the nation. In a new book, authors Lorri Glover and Daniel Blake Smith retell this account of shipwreck, courage, mutiny, and deliverance. The authors make a forceful case that the Sea Venture bears no small part in the ultimate survival of English colonization in America. Dr. Glover teaches American history at the University of Tennessee. This lecture was cosponsored with the Society of Colonial Wars in Virginia. (Introduction by Paul A. Levengood)

On May 28, 2009, John Ferling delivered a talk on his book, The Ascent of George Washington: The Hidden Political Genius of an American Icon. In 2007 John Ferling spoke at the VHS on his history of the Revolutionary War, Almost a Miracle. Now he has drawn on his unsurpassed knowledge of that era to provide a fresh and provocative new portrait of the greatest of the Founders in The Ascent of George Washington. Dr. Ferling is the author of an earlier biography of George Washington and numerous books on the American Revolution. This lecture was cosponsored with the Society of Colonial Wars in the State of Virginia. (Introduction by Paul A. Levengood)

On June 11, 2009, Phyllis and Paul Galanti delivered a lecture entitled "For Better or For Worse: The Journey of a POW and His Wife." In June 1966 Lt. Cmdr. Paul Galanti was shot down over Vietnam and endured nearly seven years of captivity. His wife Phyllis played a leading role in the efforts of the National League of Families of American Prisoners and Missing in Southeast Asia to publicize the plight of their loved ones and to secure their release. The Galantis presented an illustrated lecture recounting this dramatic story. Their talk was held in conjunction with the exhibition Bring Paul Home: Phyllis Galanti and Vietnam War POWs, which is based on the collection given by Phyllis and Paul Galanti to the VHS. (Introduction by Paul A. Levengood)

On September 4, 2008, Robert E. Wright delivered this lecture on his book, Virginia: Catalyst of Commerce for Four Centuries.The United States was born in debt. Was this obligation a vital tool for forging national unity, or a monstrous burden? In One Nation Under Debt: Hamilton, Jefferson, and the History of What We Owe, Robert E. Wright follows our nation's debt from the founding to the credit crisis of today. A compelling and witty storyteller, Wright shows how the past can illuminate current financial woes. Dr. Wright teaches history at New York University's Stern School of Business. This lecture was a program of the VHS's Reynolds Business History Center. (Introduction by Paul A. Levengood)

On August 20, 2009, General Christmas delivered a lecture entitled 'The Battle of Hué City, South Vietnam, 1968.' The year 1968 marked a crucial turning point in the Vietnam War. During Tet, the lunar New Year holiday, the North Vietnamese and their Viet Cong allies staged attacks across South Vietnam, none more dramatic than the assault on Hué, the old imperial capital. The offensive ended in crippling military defeat for the attackers, and yet the strength of their assault led to a political setback for the United States, as critics at home gained traction and public support for the war eroded. Lt. Gen. G. R. (Ron) Christmas, USMC (Ret.), participated in the battle for Hué as a company commander and will present a first-hand account of the conflict. General Christmas is president and CEO of the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation. This lecture was part of the VHS commemoration of the Vietnam War era.(Introduction by Paul A. Levengood)

On September 17, 2009, Edward G. Lengel delivered a lecture on his book 'To Conquer Hell Meuse-Argonne, 1918: The Battle That Ended World War I.' After four years of stalemate on the Western Front, a final Allied push broke the German army in autumn 1918. The Meuse-Argonne Offensive represented the war's largest commitment of American troops to battle and helped pave the way to German capitulation in November. In To Conquer Hell: The Meuse-Argonne, 1918, Edward G. Lengel tells the epic tale of American soldiers in the final campaign of World War I. Dr. Lengel is associate professor of history at UVA and an editor of the Papers of George Washington. (Introduction by Nelson D. Lankford)

On October 1, 2009, Julian Hudson delivered a lecture entitled "Prestwould: Gracious Living on the American Frontier, 1790–1830." Prestwould Plantation, built at the end of the eighteenth century in a post-revolutionary Georgian style, is located on the bluffs above the Roanoke River near Clarksville, Virginia. Dr. Julian Hudson, the executive director of the Prestwould Foundation, has overseen the restoration of this historic property by leading preservation specialists. His lecture illustrated the material culture represented by Prestwould, beginning with Sir Peyton and Lady Jean Skipwith and extending down four subsequent generations. (Introduction by Paul A. Levengood)

On October 15, 2009, William M. S. Rasmussen delivered a lecture in conjunction with the current exhibition The Portent: John Brown's Raid in American Memory. One hundred and fifty years ago, John Brown's Raid on Harpers Ferry failed utterly. But the violent event and the executions it prompted shocked the nation. They reinforced white southern fears about slave insurrection, emboldened secessionists, and made Brown a martyr in the eyes of many northerners. Ever since, Brown has been a symbol of contrast and controversy. Dr. Rasmussen is Lora M. Robins Curator at the VHS and curator of the exhibition that marks these tumultuous events leading up to the Civil War. (Introduction by Paul A. Levengood)

On November 4, 2009, Margaret Bemiss and Will Rieley delivered a lecture entitled 'Historic Virginia Gardens: Preservation Work of the Garden Club of Virginia.' For nearly a century, the Garden Club of Virginia has undertaken garden research and preservation work at numerous historic sites across the Old Dominion. It has restored and created beautiful landscapes for the education and enjoyment of all, from backyard gardeners to design professionals. Author Margaret Bemiss and Will Rieley, landscape architect to the Garden Club of Virginia, presented an illustrated lecture on the new book, Historic Virginia Gardens, documenting this important contribution to the commonwealth's botanical and architectural heritage. (Introduction by Paul A. Levengood)

On November 12, 2009, Anna Gibson Holloway delivered a lecture entitled 'So Ends This Day': An Illustrated Update on the Life and Times of the USS Monitor, from 1861 to yesterday.' Although the Union ironclad Monitor may have ended her working career in a gale off Cape Hatteras in December 1862, her story does not end there. Discovered in 1973, established as a National Marine Sanctuary in 1975, and the subject of intense recovery operations by NOAA and the U.S. Navy since then, the curious "cheesebox on a raft" still has stories to tell. Anna Holloway brought the Monitor to life in this lively, illustrated presentation by combining log entries, official correspondence, personal letters from officers and crew, and material evidence found in the ship itself. Holloway serves as vice president of museum collections and programs at the Mariners' Museum in Newport News, where she recently curated the award-winning exhibition Ironclad Revolution at the USS Monitor Center. (Introduction by Paul A. Levengood)

On December 3, 2009, George W. Grayson delivered a lecture on his book 'Mexico: Narco-Violence and a Failed State?' The armed conflict between Mexico's rival drug cartels and the central government is headline news in the United States. George W. Grayson put Mexican-American relations into historical context and examined Mexican efforts to tackle both the demand and supply sides of the problems spawned by the wildly profitable supply route for illegal drugs making their way into the United States. Professor Grayson teaches at the College of William and Mary. (Introduction by Nelson D. Lankford)

On January 28, 2010, Noah Andre Trudeau delivered a lecture on his book Robert E. Lee. Almost 150 years after the fact, Robert E. Lee remains a towering figure of the Civil War era, an acclaimed strategist and an enigmatic personality. In his new book, the latest in the critically received Great Generals Series, prolific author Noah Andre Trudeau presents an insightful narrative about the Confederacy's preeminent military leader. (Introduction by Paul A. Levengood)

On February 4, 2010, Muffie Meyer delivered a lecture on the PBS documentary Dolley Madison. n March, the "American Experience" history series on PBS will broadcast a new documentary on the life of Dolley Madison. Today’s event offers a preview of part of the documentary, along with commentary about the making of the film by the producer and director, Muffie Meyer. This event is jointly sponsored by the Virginia Historical Society and James Madison's Montpelier. (Introduction by Paul A. Levengood)

On March 4, 2010, Michael Kranish delivered a lecture on his book "Flight from Monticello: Thomas Jefferson at War." In his new book, Michael Kranish recounts Thomas Jefferson's difficult tenure as Virginia's governor during the Revolution. The story begins with the background of struggle against British rule, then the tumultuous outbreak of fighting and Jefferson's role in the Continental Congress, followed by his rise to the governorship. Influenced by Jefferson, Virginia provided for a weak chief executive, and the state was ill-prepared for invasion. When war came to the Old Dominion, the legislature fled the capital, and Jefferson narrowly eluded capture twice. Kranish describes his many stumbles as he struggled to respond to the crisis. "Jefferson's record was both remarkable and unsatisfactory, filled with contradictions," writes Kranish. As a revolutionary leader who felt he was unqualified to conduct a war, Jefferson never resolved those contradictions. But, as Kranish shows, he did learn lessons fro

On March 25, 2010, Melvin Urofsky delivered a lecture on his book "Louis Brandeis: An American Legal Giant." Louis Brandeis was one of the most important and distinguished justices to sit on the United States Supreme Court. In his latest book, Melvin Urofsky presents not only Brandeis the reformer, lawyer, and jurist, but also Brandeis the man, in all of his complexity, passion, and wit. Drawing on family papers and materials never before available, Urofsky gives us the remarkable story of Brandeis's influence on American society and jurisprudence, and the electrifying story of his time. Dr. Urofsky is a former professor of history at Virginia Commonwealth University. (Introduction by Nelson D. Lankford)

On April 22, 2010, Lee Shepard delivered a Banner Lecture entitled "Hidden Treasures: A Short History of the Mary Custis Lee Trunks." In 2002, two wooden trunks were found at Burke and Herbert Bank and Trust Company in Alexandria, Va. The trunks contained letters, legal papers, journals, travel souvenirs, financial records, and smaller artifacts that were collected by Mary Custis Lee, the eldest daughter of General Robert E. Lee. The collection of manuscripts and artifacts, now at the Virginia Historical Society, have been added to what is currently the largest holding of Lee family papers in any single repository. Lee Shepard will discuss and show images of items found in the trunks—including an 1810 letter from George Washington Parke Custis, the builder of Arlington House; an 1863 order from Robert E. Lee, in his own hand, announcing the death of General Stonewall Jackson; and an 1872 letter from former Arlington House slave Selina Gray to Mary Randolph Custis Lee. He will also reveal new information that

On April 1, 2010, Eugene P. Trani delivered a lecture on his book "Distorted Mirrors: Americans and Their Relations with Russia and China in the Twentieth Century." During the last century, United States relations with Russia and China went through many tumultuous changes. In a new appraisal, Eugene Trani shows where American images of Russia and China originated, how they evolved, and how they have often helped sustain foreign policies that were generally negative toward Russia and more positive toward China. Trani's wide-ranging new book draws on memoirs, archives, and interviews to show how influential individuals shaped perceptions and policies based on what they saw or thought they saw in those two countries. Dr. Trani is president emeritus of Virginia Commonwealth University.(Introduction by Nelson D. Lankford)

On February 18, 2010, Robert Poole delivered a lecture on his book "On Hallowed Ground: The Story of Arlington National Cemetery." In his new book, Robert Poole traces the founding of Arlington Cemetery on what had been the family plantation of Robert E. Lee's wife. Arlington first became a U.S. Army headquarters and then a cemetery for indigent Civil War soldiers before Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton made it the new national cemetery. Arlington's special significance grew after the war, as the government gathered soldiers' remains hastily buried on nearby battlefields and reinterred them at Arlington, where they received the honors of a grateful nation. The rituals and reverence associated with Arlington evolved over the next hundred years, paid through the blood of those who fought in the Spanish-American War, World Wars I and II, the Korean War, the Cold War, Vietnam, Desert Storm, Iraq, and Afghanistan. (Introduction by Paul A. Levengood)