VMHC Lectures

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Virginia Environmental Endowment: Leadership, Leverage, and Legacy Mar 05, 2014

Show notes

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 focused on the origins, mission, and accomplishments of VEE. Gerald P. McCarthy examined 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 addressed 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) The content and opinions expressed in these presentations are solely those of the speaker and not necessarily of the Virginia Museum of History & Culture.

An African Republic: Black and White Virginians in the Making of Liberia Mar 05, 2014

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On 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 told 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 was co-sponsored by The Richmond Forum in conjunction with its November 6, 2010 program, featuring President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia. The content and opinions expressed in these presentations are solely those of the speaker and not necessarily of the Virginia Museum of History & Culture.

The Letters of Oliver and Bernie Hill: The Making of a Legendary Civil Rights Lawyer Feb 21, 2014

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On February 6 at noon, Margaret Edds will delivered a Banner Lecture entitled "The Letters of Oliver and Bernie Hill: The Making of a Legendary Civil Rights Lawyer." Author-journalist Margaret Edds discusses more than 200 letters written during the first years of the Hills’ marriage, while Oliver was struggling to launch a law practice in Roanoke and Bernie was teaching in Washington D.C. The 1934–36 letters illuminate Hill’s early association with the N.A.A.C.P. and the Virginia Teachers Association, work that led in future years to participation in historic court challenges to Jim Crow segregation. Margaret Edds is an author and retired journalist who is researching a book on Oliver Hill and Spottswood Robinson.

The Letters of Oliver and Bernie Hill: The Making of a Legendary Civil Rights Lawyer Feb 21, 2014

Show notes

On February 6, 2014, Margaret Edds delivered a Banner Lecture entitled "The Letters of Oliver and Bernie Hill: The Making of a Legendary Civil Rights Lawyer." Author-journalist Margaret Edds discusses more than 200 letters written during the first years of the Hills’ marriage, while Oliver was struggling to launch a law practice in Roanoke and Bernie was teaching in Washington D.C. The 1934–36 letters illuminate Hill’s early association with the N.A.A.C.P. and the Virginia Teachers Association, work that led in future years to participation in historic court challenges to Jim Crow segregation. Margaret Edds is an author and retired journalist who is researching a book on Oliver Hill and Spottswood Robinson. The content and opinions expressed in these presentations are solely those of the speaker and not necessarily of the Virginia Museum of History & Culture.

Take Care of the Living: Reconstructing Confederate Veteran Families Feb 20, 2014

Show notes

On June 10, 2010, Jeffrey W. McClurken delivered the banner lecture "Take Care of the Living: Reconstructing Confederate Veteran Families" The Civil War ended in spring 1865, but for Confederate veterans and their families, its consequences persisted far longer as they began to pick up the pieces of their civilian lives in the devastated South. In his new book, Jeffrey W. McClurken assesses the wide-ranging effects of the war on Confederate veteran families in Southside Virginia. Coming to terms with postwar reality on an individual level meant reconstructing the household and seeking jobs and financial assistance. It also involved the state in providing replacement limbs for amputees, pensions, and homes for old soldiers and widows. These changes would influence the shape of southern society for generations to come. Dr. McClurken teaches history at the University of Mary Washington. (Introduction by Nelson D. Lankford) The content and opinions expressed in these presentations are solely those of the speaker and not necessarily of the Virginia Museum of History & Culture.

Memories of World War II Feb 20, 2014

Show notes

On July 22, 2010, Jack Mountcastle discussed photos from the temporary exhibition Memories of World War II: Photographs from the Archives of The Associated Press. The exhibition presented a stunning array of photographs from the greatest war in human history. It included photographs of Hitler and Mussolini at their peak, Londoners during the Blitz, the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising of 1943, Allied leaders at Tehran, GIs in Normandy, and Marines on the black sands of Iwo Jima. Organized from the archives of the Associated Press, this exhibition presented a spectrum of 121 of the most dramatic photographs from all theaters of the war and the home front. In this lecture Brig. Gen. John W. Mountcastle (USA, Ret.) surveyed the most important of these images. Before retiring from active duty, Jack Mountcastle was the army's chief of military history in Washington, D.C. (Introduction by Paul A. Levengood) The content and opinions expressed in these presentations are solely those of the speaker and not necessarily of the Virginia Museum of History & Culture.

Grand Avenues: The Story of Pierre Charles L'Enfant, the French Visionary Feb 20, 2014

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On September 23, 2010, Scott W. Berg delivered the banner lecture "Grand Avenues: The Story of Pierre Charles L'Enfant, the French Visionary" In 1791 George Washington asked Pierre Charles L'Enfant, who had been a French volunteer during the American Revolution, to design a new federal city on the Potomac for the young republic. Suffering from constant interference, L'Enfant persisted in his work for a year before being dismissed. Yet, his ambitious geometrical plan for the District of Columbia survived and endures to this day. In Grand Avenues, Scott W. Berg resurrects the cranky L'Enfant and reveals how his influence persists in the nation's capital city. Dr. Berg teaches English at George Mason University. (Introduction by Nelson D. Lankford) The content and opinions expressed in these presentations are solely those of the speaker and not necessarily of the Virginia Museum of History & Culture.

The Portent: John Brown's Raid in American Memory Feb 20, 2014

Show notes

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) The content and opinions expressed in these presentations are solely those of the speaker and not necessarily of the Virginia Museum of History & Culture.

Steel Drivin' Man: John Henry, the Untold Story of an American Legend Feb 18, 2014

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On November 4, 2010, Scott Reynolds Nelson delivered the banner lecture "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&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. The content and opinions expressed in these presentations are solely those of the speaker and not necessarily of the Virginia Museum of History & Culture.

"We Shall Not Be Moved": Virginia Songs of Labor Feb 18, 2014

Show notes

On December 1, 2010, Gregg Kimball, Jackie Frost, and Sheryl Warner delivered the banner lecture "'We Shall Not Be Moved': Virginia Songs of Labor" 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) The content and opinions expressed in these presentations are solely those of the speaker and not necessarily of the Virginia Museum of History & Culture.

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