Could Women and Men Be Friends in the Founding Era? Dr. Cassandra A. Good Will Explore the Risks and Rewards of “Founding Friendships,” March 9

Part of the Museum’s Popular Read the Revolution Speaker Series

Abigail Adams called her friend Thomas Jefferson “one of the choice ones on earth,” while George Washington signed a letter to his friend Elizabeth Willing Powel with the words “I am always Yours.” During Women’s History Month, author and historian Dr. Cassandra A. Good will join the Museum of the American Revolution virtually on Tuesday, March 9, 2021 at 6 p.m. to shine a light on the men and women who took risks to form friendships with each other during the Revolutionary era. The virtual event is part of the Museum’s popular Read the Revolution Speaker Series.

In her book Founding Friendships: Friendships Between Men and Women in the Early American Republic, Good explores how, by forming friendships, these men and women challenged social expectations but embraced founding ideals of freedom, choice, and equality in the early United States. According to Good, although they were fraught with social danger, these friendships embodied the core values of the new nation and represented a transitional moment in gender and culture.

In this virtual conversation, Good will discuss how individuals in the founding generation, including Mercy Otis Warren, Nelly Parke Custis, and others discussed in the Museum's current special exhibition When Women Lost the Vote: A Revolutionary Story, 1776-1807, defined and experienced friendship, love, gender, and power through her analysis of diaries, novels, letters, and etiquette books. Museum President & CEO Dr. R. Scott Stephenson will facilitate a live Q&A with Good and the virtual audience.

“Meticulously researched, clearly written, and fascinating...It will inspire both more debate and more research on the hitherto-neglected topic of inter-gender friendships.” —Virginia Magazine of History

Tickets are $7 for general admission, $5 for students, teachers and museum professionals, and free for Museum Members, and are available here.

Dr. Cassandra Good serves as Assistant Professor of History at Marymount University in Arlington, Virginia. She was formerly the Associate Editor of the Papers of James Monroe at the University of Mary Washington. She received her PhD in history from the University of Pennsylvania and her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in American Studies from George Washington University. Her area of expertise is late 18th-19th century America with particular focus on politics, gender, and cultural history. She also has experience in museums, new media, and public history through her work at the Smithsonian Institution. Her first book, Founding Friendships, is available from Oxford University Press. It received the Organization of American Historians’ Mary Jurich Nickliss Prize in U.S. women’s and/or gender history in 2016. She is currently working on a book titled First Family: George Washington’s Heirs and the Making of America and will lead the exclusive Audible Original Great Courses class, ‘Women of the Founding Era,’ available on March 16, 2021.

The Museum’s Read the Revolution Speaker Series brings celebrated authors and historians to the Museum for lively discussions of their work. The series is based on the Museum’s national Read the Revolution bi-monthly e-newsletter, which features excerpts from thought-provoking books to inspire learning about the American Revolution.

Read the Revolution is sponsored by The Haverford Trust Company.

About Museum of the American Revolution
The Museum of the American Revolution uncovers and shares compelling stories about the diverse people and complex events that sparked America’s ongoing experiment in liberty, equality, and self-government. Through the Museum’s unmatched collection, immersive galleries, powerful theater experiences, and interactive elements, visitors gain a deeper appreciation for how this nation came to be and feel inspired to consider their role in ensuring that the promise of the American Revolution endures. Located just steps away from Independence Hall, the Museum serves as a portal to the region’s many Revolutionary sites, sparking interest, providing context, and encouraging exploration. The Museum, which opened on April 19, 2017, is a private, non-profit, and non-partisan organization. For more information, visit www.AmRevMuseum.org or call 877.740.1776.