Famous Visitors to Mount Vernon: A Tour of Tourists
For more than two hundred years, Mount Vernon has attracted visitors from all over the world. Diplomats, presidents, military leaders, royalty, and other celebrities are among the millions who have come to Washington’s home to pay their respects and explore the Mansion and grounds. The archives of the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association hold letters, photographs, guest books, and other records documenting these important visits. Join Dawn Bonner, the Washington Library’s manager of visual resources, and Rebecca Baird, archivist, as they discuss the stories behind some of the estate’s famous sightseers and why Mount Vernon continues to lure people of all backgrounds and cultures. (for Mount Vernon members, July 19)

Transatlantic Slavery Symposium
Listen in as scholars from both sides of the Atlantic address the lasting impact of the transatlantic slave trade through a series of panel discussions on such topics as transatlantic abolition and law, constitutions and slavery, capitalism and slavery, public programming and interpreting slavery in the founding era, historic sites interpreting slavery, and public memory and oral history. The conference has already received a record attendance, at 33,000 views and counting. The symposium is a joint venture of the Robert H. Smith Scholarship Centre at Benjamin Franklin House, in London; the Robert H. Smith International Center for Jefferson Studies, at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello; and the Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington, at George Washington’s Mount Vernon. (August 9 to August 13)

Discovering Your Patriot Ancestor: Tips From the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution
Family genealogists, take note. Think you've discovered an ancestor who lived in America during the founding era? Join Allie Golon, national chair of the Lineage Research Committee of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), for this fascinating workshop. Learn about resources to assist in tracing and documenting lineage back to the Revolution, the many kinds of patriotic aid considered valuable during the struggle for independence, and how you may be eligible for membership in the DAR, even if your ancestor was not a soldier. (August 24)

Reflections on Washington’s Farewell Address: Teaching Them How to Say Goodbye
In honor of the 225th anniversary of George Washington’s famed Farewell Address, an all-star panel discusses the first president’s warnings to and hope for future generations of Americans. The panel features CNN’s John Avlon, author Lindsay Chervinsky, Ph.D., and historian Joseph Ellis, Ph.D. (September 20)

Founding Debates: Civic Education in America: Origins, Aspirations, Challenges
Sponsored by the Ammerman Family Foundation in honor of James C. Rees, former Mount Vernon president and CEO, the program explores why civic education was so important to America’s founding generation and what we are learning in the 21st century about how we should prepare students for a lifetime of citizenship. (September 22)