Revolutionary Films Screening: "Thomas Jefferson," by Ken Burns
- Date
- October 13, 2026
- Time (Duration)
- All Day
Event Description
Thomas Jefferson is Coming to Lexington!
- October 13, 19 & 21
- Various Sites
Sponsored by the Rockbridge Historical Society & W&L Dept. of Politics
On Tuesday, Oct. 19 (5:15 PM, W&L University Chapel), Monticello President & Harvard Professor of History Emerita, Jane Kamensky, will deliver the distinguished Virginia Society of the Cincinnati Lecture, addressing “Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and the Lost Art of Civic Friendship.” Her lecture will be followed by a moderated conversation with W&L Politics Professors Brian Alexander and Lucas Morel, and Rockbridge Historical Society Executive Director & Rockbridge250 Co-Chair Eric Wilson, reflecting on their leadership of national, state, and local commemorations of the 250th Anniversary of American Independence, and the creation of Lexington and Rockbridge during the Revolutionary War, in 1778. Free and open to all.
This featured event will be flanked by a pair of Jefferson-tied community discussions in RHS' monthly series, “Revolutionary Films & Books: 1776-2026,” both held in the Piovano Room at the Rockbridge Regional Library. On Tuesday, Oct. 13 (6 PM), conversation will center around selected scenes from Ken Burns’ PBS documentary, “Thomas Jefferson,” and other short videos produced by Monticello.
On Wednesday, Oct. 21 (6 PM), building on Kamensky’s address, gather to discuss the new volume that she edited, DECLARE: A Civic Gospel, Monticello’s signature @250 publication: a short anthology of original poems, short fiction, essays, and art to frame the relevance, complexity, and inspiration of the Declaration of Independence, in our contemporary world. Distinguished contributors include Jill Lepore, Rita Dove, Forrest Gander, Arthur Sze, Geraldine Brooks, Maggie Blackhawk, Gen. James Mattis, Coleman Hughes, and senior staff at Monticello. Copies can be purchased for $15.95 at the W&L Bookstore or through Monticello’s online shop.
For more, see RHS Instagram or RHS Facebook, and read RHS' feature essay for "Revolutionary Moments, 1776-2026":
