Presentations
Possible Topics for Presentations Include:
Religious Freedom
How Religious Freedom Developed in the American Revolution: Hornets, Snakes, Baptists, and Presbyterians
Thomas Jefferson and Religious Freedom
Political Partisanship in the Early Republic
Hyper-Partisanship and the Crisis of 1799: Patrick Henry and a Loyal Opposition
Patrick Henry v. Thomas Jefferson: How to Disagree with Government Policy
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson and Leadership: including whether we should honor Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson and His Support of Yeoman Farmers
Thomas Jefferson and the University of Virginia
Remembering Thomas Jefferson: American Icon and Slaveowner
How Thomas Jefferson’s Presidency Began
Declaration of Independence
Common Sense and the Declaration
Why Jefferson? There were Other Choices
The Principles of the Declaration: What Makes it Memorable
Patrick Henry
Patrick Henry and a Loyal Opposition
Henry, Henry, and Henry: Richard Henry Lee, Henry “Light-Horse Harry” Lee, and Patrick Henry
FORTHCOMING PRESENTATIONS
“For the People, For the Country: Patrick Henry’s Final Political Battle”: American Revolution Museum, Yorktown, July 6, 2024, 3:00 pm
“Thomas Jefferson and the Nuances of Leadership”: Smithsonian Associates, July 31, 2024, 6:45 pm (virtual program) Tickets: Thomas Jefferson and the Nuances of Leadership - Smithsonian Associates
“The Crisis of 1798: Henry v. Jefferson”: Hennage Auditorium, Colonial Williamsburg, October 17, 2024, 5:30 pm
“A Constitutional Way”: Patrick Henry, Thomas Jefferson, and Making a Loyal Opposition, Craigie Speakers Series, Historic Saint John’s Church, Richmond, VA, October 18, 2024, 7:00 pm Tickets: OCT 18 Speaker Dr. John Ragosta — Historic St. John's Church, 1741 (historicstjohnschurch.org)
“In a Constitutional Way”: Patrick Henry’s Final Political Battle, Dallas Women’s Club, November 14, 2024, 6:30 pm
“For the People, For the Country: Patrick Henry’s Final Political Battle”: Park Cities Rotary, November 15, 2024, 12:00 pm
“For the People, For the Country: Patrick Henry’s Final Political Battle”: Monticello Daughters of the American Revolution, February 6, 2025
“For the People, For the Country: Patrick Henry’s Final Political Battle”: Patrick Henry’s Scotchtown, March 1, 2025
SELECTED PAST PRESENTATIONS
“’A Constitutional Way’: Patrick Henry, Thomas Jefferson, and a Loyal Opposition,” Monticello Education and Visitors Programs, January 11, 2023
“Jefferson and Religious Freedom,” OLLI, UC San Diego, November 14, 2022
“Thomas Jefferson: A Model for Leadership?”, Roads Scholars, October 4, 25, September 13, 2022
“Patrick Henry and the Crisis of Union that Died in 1799,” Thomas Jefferson Chapter, Sons of the American Revolution, June 4, 2022
“The Presidency of Thomas Jefferson: America’s Third President,” Summer Jefferson Symposium, University of Virginia Office of Lifetime Learning, June 26-29, 2022
“Patrick Henry and Thomas Jefferson,” on the Thomas Jefferson Hour, January 18, 2022
“Patrick Henry and the Crisis of Union that Died in 1799,” University of California San Diego, Osher Lifelong Learning, January 10, 2022
“Hornets, Snakes, Baptists, and Presbyterians,” Historic Christ’s Church, Weems, VA, November 7, 2021
“Patrick Henry, Richard Henry Lee, and Lighthorse Harry Lee: A Complicated Dance,” Stratford Hall, October 9, 2021
“Patrick Henry and the Crisis of Union that Died in 1799,” SHEAR Conference, July 15, 2021
“Thomas Jefferson: American Icon and Slaveowner,” U.S. Institute on American Politics and Political Thought, State Department/UMass Amherst, July 26, 2019
“Jefferson and the Meaning of Religious Freedom,” Smithsonian Associates, June 17, 2019
“Thomas Jefferson’s Contributions and Contradictions,” University of Virginia Founder’s Day (invited by the office of the president), April 12, 2019
“Hamilton v. Jefferson: On History, Freedom, and American Government,” Alexander Hamilton Institute and Robert H. Smith International Center for Jefferson Studies, November 15-17, 2018
Moderator, “Fake News: Today and in Jefferson’s Time,” Poplar Forest, March 30, 2017
“Witches, Patriots, and Partisans,” Virginia Festival of the Book, March 24, 2017
Moderator, “Religious Freedom Now and Jefferson’s Time,” Poplar Forest, September 22, 2016
“Thomas Jefferson, Our Times, and the Challenge of Leadership,” National Executive Institute, Charlottesville, September 23, 2015
“Who Defines Religious Freedom?” Richard Reynolds Foundation Lecture, Polegreen Foundation, Richmond, June 11, 2015
“Religious Freedom: Is the American Revolutionary Experience Relevant to Africa?” Young African Leaders Initiative, Monticello, July 2, 2014
“Hornets, Snakes, Presbyterians & Baptists,” Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, April 2013.
“Is James Madison Still Speaking to Us about Religious Freedom?” Montpelier, March 16, 2012 (invited for Madison’s birthday)
“America as ‘Christian Nation,’” People for the American Way, November 2011
“Patrick Henry: Federalist,” Virginia Foundation for the Humanities, October 2011
“Washington and Jefferson on States’ Rights,” Teachers’ Institute at Mount Vernon, July 2011
"Religious Freedom — How we got it: Hornets, Snakes, Presbyterians, and Baptists,” Library of Virginia, Historic Polegreen Church Foundation, July 12, 2011
“Why We Teach: Baptists and the American Revolution,” Baptist History and Heritage Society, Dallas, May 19, 2011