Feb 5: Washington in American Memory Speaker Series

Washington in American Memory Speaker Series

To mark the 250th anniversaries of the American Revolution and the founding of the United States, History Cambridge is proud to partner with a coalition of local non-profits and government agencies to present “Washington in American Memory,” a seven-part speaker series running from November 2025 through April 2026.

This series will explore the shifting public memory of George Washington through talks by preeminent historians and authors, covering topics from his legacy in Cambridge and his relationships with Indigenous and enslaved people, to the preservation of his memory at Mount Vernon.

All programs are free and open to the public and will take place in the Cambridge Public Library Lecture Hall (449 Broadway, Lower Level 2), with all events also being livestreamed.

Objects of Memory: Washington and Material Culture  

Thursday, February 5, 2026
6:00-7:30 PM
Cambridge Public Library Lecture Hall (449 Broadway, Lower Level 2)
Livestream available
Free; please register

Consider 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 Erica E. Hirshler, Croll Senior Curator of American Paintings at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

This speaker series is made possible through the generous support of Eastern National, a nonprofit partner of the National Park Service. It is presented in partnership by the National Park Service/Longfellow House-Washington’s Headquarters National Historic Site, History Cambridge, Cambridge Public Library, Cambridge Historical Commission, and Cambridge MA250.