As the nation prepares to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 2026, History Cambridge co-hosts “Washington in American Memory,” a seven-part speaker series running through April. This series explores the shifting public memory of George Washington through talks by preeminent historians and authors, covering topics from his legacy in Cambridge and relationships with Indigenous and enslaved people to the preservation of his memory at Mount Vernon.
History Cambridge is partnering with the National Park Service/Longfellow House-Washington’s Headquarters National Historic Site, Cambridge Public Library, Cambridge Historical Commission and Cambridge MA250 for the series, which is made possible by a grant from Eastern National, a nonprofit partner of the National Park Service.
“From Revolution to Remembrance: Memory of the American Revolution” opens the series Nov. 10 by exploring how Americans have remembered and reinterpreted the meaning of the Revolution from 1776 to today. The event features Michael Hattem, author of “The Memory of ‘76: The Revolution in American History” and associate director of the Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute, and Nikki Stewart, executive director of Old North Illuminated and is moderated by Beth Folsom of History Cambridge. The program takes place at the the Cambridge Main Library, 449 Broadway, Mid-Cambridge, and will be available online. Participation is free, but registration is required.
The remaining programs will also be at the Cambridge Main Library and online. Registration for the November-January programs is open, and registration for the February programs and beyond will be available soon:
The First Commander Remembered: Washington’s Legacy in Cambridge”
Dec. 2 from 6 to 7:30 p.m.
A debunking of myths and tracing of the evolution of the public memory of George Washington in Cambridge, featuring J.L. Bell, author of “The Road to Concord: How Four Stolen Cannon Ignited the Revolutionary War” and proprietor of Boston1775.net; and 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”
Jan. 22 from 6 to 7:30 p.m.
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”
Feb. 5 from 6 to 7:30 p.m.
A look at 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; and Horace Ballard, author of the forthcoming “Superfine: George Washington and the Free and Enslaved Men Who Dressed Him” and Theodore E. Stebbins Jr. curator of American art at the Harvard Art Museums.
“Travels with George: In Search of Washington and His Legacy”
March 12 from 6 to 7:30 p.m.
This program retraces Washington’s postinaugural journeys and explore how he sought to unite a fragile new nation, featuring Peter Drummey, retired chief historian of the Massachusetts Historical Society; and 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”
March 30 from 6 to 7:30 p.m.
An exploration of 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 the forthcoming“Thy Will Be Done: George Washington’s Legacy of Slavery and the Fight for American Memory” and director of the Public History Research Lab at the American Association for State and Local History; and Kyera Singleton, executive director of the Royall House & Slave Quarters and a postdoctoral fellow at the Tufts University Center for the Humanities.
“How We Remember, What We Preserve: Washington’s Legacy at Mount Vernon”
April 27 from 6 to 7:30 p.m.
The 19th century origins of preservation at Mount Vernon, current conservation work and the estate’s future, featuring Doug Bradburn, president and chief executive of George Washington’s Mount Vernon and co-founder and editor of the book series “Early American Histories” and Andrea Sahin, vice regent for Massachusetts to the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association.
About History Cambridge
History Cambridge started in 1905 as the Cambridge Historical Society. Today we have a new name and a new mission. We engage with our city to explore how the past influences the present to shape a better future. We recognize that every person in our city knows something about Cambridge’s history, and their knowledge matters. We listen to our community and we live by the ideal that history belongs to everyone. Throughout 2025, we are focusing on the history of East Cambridge. Make history with us at historycambridge.org.
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Beth Folsom is programs manager for History Cambridge.
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