The Museum welcomes author and historian of presidential history and legacies Dr. Lindsay M. Chervinsky for the first installment of the 2024-2025 Read the Revolution Speaker Series on Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024, from 6:30 – 8 p.m. Chervinsky, who is Executive Director of the George Washington Presidential Library at Mount Vernon, will give a hybrid lecture and discussion on presidential history inspired by her latest book, Making the Presidency: John Adams and the Precedents That Forged the Republic (Oxford University Press, 2024).
In Making the Presidency, Chervinsky recounts the historical circumstances surrounding the 1796 presidential election and how Americans were unsure if the presidency could succeed without George Washington’s leadership. By March 1797, Washington retired from office and his two-term vice president, John Adams, was elected the second leader of a fledgling nation. Despite unprecedented challenges, he navigated the growing potential for conflict with Britain and France as well as intense partisan divides, debates over citizenship, fears of political violence, and in-fighting within his own cabinet.
On the eve of another unprecedented election, Chervinsky invites us to revisit Adams’ life and legacy as the president who established the democratic value of the peaceful transfer of power and ensured the survival of the American republic.
This special program will be held in the Museum’s Liberty Hall and will be broadcast live online for ticketed guests. Following Chervinsky’s short presentation, Museum President and CEO Dr. R. Scott Stephenson will join her in conversation and facilitate a live Q&A with both onsite and online audiences.
Doors open at 6 p.m. for onsite guests to see a featured artifact display from the Museum collection, enjoy refreshments at a cash bar, and purchase signed copies of the featured book. Onsite tickets for this event include Zoom access and are $20 for general admission and $15 for Museum Members. Online-only tickets are $12 for general admission and $10 for Museum Members.
