Historians Annette Gordon-Reed and Peter Onuf Present a Provocative Discussion on Our Nation’s Third President, Thomas Jefferson

Program is Part of Museum’s “Read the Revolution” Speaker Series

PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 27, 2018 — Distinguished historians Annette Gordon-Reed and Peter S. Onuf will discuss their recent book Most Blessed of the Patriarchs: Thomas Jefferson and the Empire of the Imagination, a nuanced portrait of the mind and character of our nation’s third president, at the Museum of the American Revolution on Thursday, March 22, 2018 at 6:30 p.m. 

In Most Blessed of the Patriarchs, Pulitzer Prize-winner Gordon-Reed and Onuf present a provocative and absorbing character study that reveals Thomas Jefferson as “a dynamic, complex and oftentimes contradictory human being” (Chicago Tribune). The co-authors will provide new insights into Jefferson’s views on Christianity, slavery, race and philosophy, as well as intimate, narrative stories of the patriarch. Following the presentation, guests are invited to participate in a question-and-answer session as well as a book signing.

The event is part of the Museum’s “Read the Revolution” speaker series, which brings celebrated authors and historians to the Museum for lively discussions of their work. The series is based on the Museum’s popular bi-monthly e-newsletter, which features excerpts from thought-provoking books to inspire learning about the American Revolution. For more information about the Read the Revolution e-newsletter and to subscribe, click here.

Ticket prices are $5 for Museum members and $15 for non-members. Read the Revolution series subscriptions are $20 for Museum members and $50 for non-members. For more information and to purchase tickets, click here.

About Annette Gordon-Reed
Annette Gordon-Reed is the Charles Warren Professor of American Legal History at Harvard Law School and a Professor of History in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Harvard University. She won the Pulitzer Prize in History in 2009 for The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family (W.W. Norton, 2009), a subject she had previously written about in Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings: An American Controversy (University Press of Virginia, 1997). She is also the author of Andrew Johnson (Times Books/Henry Holt, 2010).

About Peter S. Onuf
Peter S. Onuf is the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation Professor Emeritus at University of Virginia and a senior research fellow at the Robert H. Smith International Center for Jefferson Studies at Monticello. A specialist on the American Revolution and the early American republic, his previous writing on Jefferson includes The Mind of Thomas Jefferson (Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2007) and Jefferson's Empire: The Language of American Nationhood (Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 2001).

About the Museum of the American Revolution
The Museum of the American Revolution explores the dynamic story of the American Revolution using its rich collection of Revolutionary-era weapons, personal items, letters, diaries, and works of art. Immersive galleries, theater experiences, and recreated historical environments bring to life the events, people, and ideals of our nation’s founding and engage people in the history and continuing relevance of the American Revolution. Located just steps away from Independence Hall, Carpenters’ Hall, and Franklin Court, the Museum serves as a portal to the region’s many Revolutionary sites, sparking interest, providing context, and encouraging exploration. The Museum is a private, non-profit, and non-partisan organization. For more information, visit www.AmRevMuseum.org or call 877.740.1776.