Tag: Virginia History 201

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Ex President James Monroe

Dennis Bigelow speaking at the Charlottesville Senior Center.

Rick Britton is a Charlottesville-based author, lecturer, and cartographer. An award-winning historian, Rick also organizes history-related lecture classes in conjunction with the Charlottesville Senior Center.

On October 11, 2011, Fifth President James Monroe – in the flesh! – presented the final lecture in a new series entitled “Virginia History 201: Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe, A Dynasty of Friends.” Monroe, of course, passed away in 1831 (on the Fourth of July), but historical interpreter extraordinaire Dennis Bigelow – in his period clothing, and possessed of a fascinating amount of historical detail – is the personification of our fifth president. (A Vietnam veteran and well-trained thespian, Mr. Bigelow portrays James Monroe for Ash-Lawn Highland, the president’s restored “cabin castle.”) Listen and learn about Monroe’s amazing political career.

This is the final part of our five part series. Click here listen all five parts of this series.

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Dolley Madison of Montpelier

Meg Kennedy speaking at the Charlottesville Senior Center.

Meg Kennedy speaking at the Charlottesville Senior Center.

Rick Britton is a Charlottesville-based author, lecturer, and cartographer. An award-winning historian, Rick also organizes history-related lecture classes in conjunction with the Charlottesville Senior Center.

On Thursday, October 6th, Meg Kennedy presented the fourth lecture in a new series entitled “Virginia History 201: Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe, A Dynasty of Friends.” Research Coordinator for the Mansion Interiors Initiative at James Madison’s Montpelier, Kennedy talks about Dolley Madison’s early life as a Quaker, her tragic family losses to the dreaded Yellow Fever, her marriage to James Madison-principle framer of the Constitution-and her wonderful, and welcoming, influence over the White House in the early days of the Republic. Listen and learn about our nation’s first “First Lady!”

This is the forth of five parts for this series. Click here listen all five parts of this series.

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Presidential Plantation Slavery

Beth Taylor speaking at the Charlottesville Senior Center.

Beth Taylor speaking at the Charlottesville Senior Center.

Rick Britton is a Charlottesville-based author, lecturer, and cartographer. An award-winning historian, Rick also organizes history-related lecture classes in conjunction with the Charlottesville Senior Center.

On Thursday, September 22, 2011, Beth Taylor presented the third lecture in our continuing series entitled “Virginia History 201: Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe, A Dynasty of Friends.” An historian who’s developed slavery-related interpretive programs at both Montpelier and Monticello, Taylor herein delivers fascinating details about slave life on the plantations owned by the author of the Declaration and the architect of the Constitution. Were enslaved African Americans at Jefferson’s Monticello or Madison’s Montpelier treated any better than bondsmen on other Virginia plantations? Listen and find out!

This is the third of five parts for this series. Click here listen all five parts of this series.

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Jefferson Through the Eyes of His Family

Jeff Looney speaking at the Charlottesville Senior Center.

Jeff Looney speaking at the Charlottesville Senior Center.

Rick Britton is a Charlottesville-based author, lecturer, and cartographer. An award-winning historian, Rick also organizes history-related lecture classes in conjunction with the Charlottesville Senior Center.

On Thursday, September 15, 2011, the second lecture in a new lecture series entitled “Virginia History 201: Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe, A Dynasty of Friends” was delivered by Jeff Looney, Senior Editor of the Papers of Thomas Jefferson: Retirement Series. Called “Jefferson Through the Eyes of His Family,” Editor Looney’s talk-using anecdotes culled from the many Jefferson and Randolph family letters-presents the human side of the “Sage of Monticello’s” life after his retirement from public office.

This is the second of five parts for this series. Click here listen all five parts of this series.

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James Monroe at the Battle of Trenton

Rick Britton speaking at the Charlottesville Senior Center.

Rick Britton speaking at the Charlottesville Senior Center.

Rick Britton is a Charlottesville-based author, lecturer, and cartographer. An award-winning historian, Rick also organizes history-related lecture classes in conjunction with the Charlottesville Senior Center.

On Thursday, September 8, 2011, Rick Britton himself delivered the first lecture in a new series entitled “Virginia History 201: Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe, A Dynasty of Friends”. Entitled “James Monroe at the Battle of Trenton,” the presentation describes how the future 5th president of the United States joined the American Revolution, and focuses specifically on his heroism at one of the war’s pivotal actions.

This is the first of five parts for this series. Click here listen all five parts of this series.