America’s 250th Speaker Series: Washington in American Memory

Cambridge, MA - George Washington stands as a central figure in American history, remembered both for his extraordinary achievements and the complexities of his legacy. From the earliest days of the Republic to the present, generations have revisited his words and actions, finding fresh meaning as each era brings new perspectives.

To mark the 250th anniversaries of the American Revolution and the founding of the United States, a coalition of local non-profits and government agencies will present Washington in American Memory, a seven-part speaker series. The full event lineup is available here.

Through talks by preeminent historians and authors, the series will explore the evolution of the public memory of George Washington: how he has been remembered, interpreted, and reinterpreted over the course of American history.

Topics will span from Washington's legacy in Cambridge, to his relationships with Indigenous people and enslaved people, to the preservation of his legacy at Mount Vernon today. The series will feature leading scholars in conversation, including a rich mix of bestselling authors, academic and public historians, as well as non-profit and public sector leaders.

All programs are free and open to the public. Events will take place in the Cambridge Public Library Lecture Hall on Lower Level 2 (449 Broadway). All events will also be livestreamed. Advance registration is required for both in-person and virtual participation here.

This speaker series is made possible through the generous support of Eastern National, a nonprofit partner of the National Park Service. It is presented in partnership by the National Park Service/Longfellow House-Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site, History Cambridge, Cambridge Public Library, Cambridge Historical Commission, and Cambridge MA250.

Speaker Series Events:

From Revolution to Remembrance: Memory of the American Revolution

Monday, November 10, 2025 | 6:00-7:30 PM
Explore how Americans have remembered, reinterpreted, and reshaped the meaning of the American Revolution from 1776 to today, featuring:

• Michael Hattem, author of Past and Prologue: Politics and Memory in the American Revolution and Associate Director of the Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute
• Nikki Stewart, Executive Director of Old North Illuminated

The First Commander Remembered: Washington's Legacy in Cambridge

Tuesday, December 2, 2025 | 6:00-7:30 PM
Debunk myths and trace the evolution of the public memory of George Washington in Cambridge, Massachusetts, featuring:

• J.L. Bell, author of The Road to Concord: How Four Stolen Cannon Ignited the Revolutionary War and proprietor of Boston1775.net
• Charles Sullivan, co-author of Building Old Cambridge: Architecture and Development and Executive Director of the Cambridge Historical Commission

The First President and the First People: Washington in the Native Northeast

Thursday, January 22, 2026 | 6:00-7:30 PM
Trace how diplomacy, collaboration, and conflict shaped the early republic through Washington's relationships with Native people, featuring:

• Colin Gordon Calloway, author of The Indian World of George Washington: The First President, the First Americans, and the Birth of the Nation and the John Kimball, Jr. 1943 Professor of History and Professor of Native American Studies at Dartmouth College

Objects of Memory: Washington and Material Culture

Thursday, February 5, 2026 | 6:00-7:30 PM
Consider how Americans understand the material culture of Washington and the Revolution, including art and clothing, featuring:

• Zara Anishanslin, author of The Painter's Fire: A Forgotten History of the Artists Who Championed the American Revolution and Associate Professor of History and Art History at the University of Delaware
• Horace Ballard, author of Superfine: George Washington and the Free and Enslaved Men Who Dressed Him (forthcoming) and the Theodore E. Stebbins, Jr. Curator of American Art at the Harvard Art Museums

Travels with George: In Search of Washington and His Legacy

Thursday, March 12, 2026 | 6:00-7:30 PM
Retrace George Washington's post-inaugural journeys and explore how he sought to unite a fragile new nation, featuring:

• Peter Drummey, Chief Historian of the Massachusetts Historical Society (Ret.)
• Nathaniel Philbrick, author of Travels with George: In Search of Washington and His Legacy, along with many other New York Times bestselling books

Washington Remembered, Washington Forgotten: Washington and Slavery

Monday, March 30, 2026 | 6:00-7:30 PM
Explore how Americans have remembered and forgotten Washington's involvement with slavery over the past 250 years, featuring:

• Kelli Racine Barnes, Mellon Humanities Postdoctoral Fellow at Independence National Historical Park
• John Garrison Marks, author of Thy Will Be Done: George Washington's Legacy of Slavery and the Fight for American Memory (forthcoming) and Director of the Public History Research Lab at the American Association for State and Local History
• Kyera Singleton, Executive Director of the Royall House & Slave Quarters and Postdoctoral Fellow at the Tufts University Center for the Humanities

How We Remember, What We Preserve: Washington's Legacy at Mount Vernon

Monday, April 27, 2026 | 6:00-7:30 PM
Explore the 19th century origins of preservation at Mount Vernon, current conservation work, and the estate's future, featuring:

• Doug Bradburn, President and CEO of George Washington's Mount Vernon and co-founder and editor of the book series, Early American Histories
• Andrea Sahin, Vice Regent for Massachusetts to the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association

Longfellow House-Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site - Managed by the U.S. National Park Service, Longfellow House-Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site preserves a remarkable Georgian house whose occupants shaped the nation. It was a site of colonial enslavement and community activism, George Washington's first long-term headquarters of the American Revolution, and the place where Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote his canon of 19th-century American literature. For more information visit nps.gov/longfellow.

History Cambridge - Formerly the Cambridge Historical Society, History Cambridge uses history to catalyze the connections that make Cambridge, Massachusetts more vibrant and cohesive. History Cambridge is a private non-profit funded by individual and corporate donations. For more information visit historycambridge.org.

Cambridge Public Library - Since 1858, the Cambridge Public Library has been a beloved hub of opportunity and civic engagement in Cambridge, Massachusetts, welcoming all, inspiring minds, and empowering community. The library envisions a Cambridge where everyone has equitable opportunities to learn, where people live their best lives, and democracy thrives. For more information visit cambridgema.gov/departments/cambridgepubliclibrary.

Cambridge Historical Commission - The Cambridge Historical Commission is the city's historic preservation agency. Established in 1963, the CHC seeks to preserve the integrity and diversity of Cambridge's built environment and to disseminate information about its history. For more information visit cambridgema.gov/historic.

Cambridge Mass250 - Cambridge Mass250 is a citywide commemoration of America's 250th anniversary of independence, honoring Cambridge's pivotal role in the nation's history while celebrating the community's spirit of progress, diversity, and innovation. For more information visit cambridgema.gov/mass250initiative.