Northern Neck 250

“A Perfect Frenzy”
2026-07-08 17:00 - 19:00 (America/New_York) | Historic Christ Church, 420 Christ Church Road, Weems, VA, 22576, United States
Author Andrew Lawler speaks on his 2025 book A Perfect Frenzy: A Royal Governor, His Black Allies, and the Crisis That Spurred the American Revolution. Wine and cheese reception with author and book signing. Tickets required.

Public Reading of the Declaration of Independence
2026-07-02 16:00 - 17:00 | Historic Christ Church, 420 Christ Church Road, Weems, VA, 22576, United States
Patriotic celebration and reading of the Declaration of Independence inside Historic Christ Church. With the Cobbs Hall Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Richard Henry Lee Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution.

Hands-On History Day at Historic Christ Church & Museum
2026-06-26 08:30 - 12:30 | Historic Christ Church, 420 Christ Church Road, Weems, VA, 22576, United States
Step back in time with this exciting program in colonial Virginia history. Make a brick by hand, write with a quill pen, make a grave rubbing, play colonial games, create a silhouette portrait, build a brick wall and more. Enjoy a pizza party for lunch and take home a souvenir bookmark, Museum Activity Book, and knapsack. Ages 6-12. Space is limited; pre-registration required:
Email the Organizer

“Give Me Liberty: Virginia & The Forging of a Nation” June 22 - August 3
2026-06-22 10:00 - 16:00 | Historic Christ Church, 420 Christ Church Road, Weems, VA, 22576, United States
Special traveling exhibition from the Virginia Museum of History & Culture explores the unique and essential people, events and sites in Virginia that helped bring liberty and democracy to a nation. June 22 – Aug. 3: 10 am–4 pm (Sun. 1-4 pm)

Speaker Series: George Washington and the Presidential Title Controversy of 1789
2026-06-14 14:00 - 16:00 | George Washington Birthplace National Monument, 1732 Popes Creek Road, Colonial Beach, VA, 22443, United States
Join Dr. Kathleen Bartoloni-Tuazon for an engaging exploration of one of the earliest and most revealing debates in American history—the 1789 controversy over the president’s title. Drawing from her book For Fear of an Elective King, she will uncover why Congress and the public fiercely argued over whether George Washington should be addressed as “His Highness” or simply “President.” Her talk will highlight how this seemingly ceremonial question exposed deep anxieties about power and the fragility of the new republic. Attendees will learn how Washington’s own choices shaped the presidency, as well as reinforced certain ideals.
About the Speaker:
Dr. Kathleen Bartoloni-Tuazon is an expert on the early presidency and is a thought leader in her field.
She received her doctorate from George Washington University and found a welcome intellectual environment at the First Federal Congress Project (FFCP) in Washington D.C. where she was Visiting Scholar, contributing to a project to document of all material related to America’s first Congress under the new Constitution, which is now a part of the Washington National Library at Mount Vernon in Virginia.
She has been interviewed by National Public Radio and has had opinion pieces in The Economist and The Boston Globe. She has appeared several times on C-SPAN and lectures on the presidency, the evolution of executive power, and the Washington administration. Her book, For Fear of an Elective King, has been recommended by sources as varied as Vanity Fair, Presidential Studies Quarterly, The Journal of the Early Republic and The American Historical Review. She is also author of
She is the author of For Fear of an Elective King: George Washington and the Presidential Title Controversy of 1789, a richly researched account of how a seemingly small question—what to call the president—became a defining moment for our country and executive legitimacy.

"Black Freedom Suits and the Declaration of Independence"
2026-06-11 17:00 - 19:00 | Historic Christ Church, 420 Christ Church Road, Weems, VA, 22576, United States
The Declaration of Independence asserted that “all men are created equal” and have natural rights and the right of self-government by consent. Slavery contradicted these core principles of the Declaration of Independence as America’s creedal document. Using the Declaration of Independence as their “North Star,” they launched “freedom petitions” and “freedom suits,” making a claim on natural rights with unexpected and surprising outcomes. Part one of the 2026 Spring Speaker Series. Tickets required.

Virginia Resolved
2026-06-06 - 2026-06-07 | Stratford Hall, 483 Great House Road, Stratford, VA, 22558, United States
Celebrate the 250th anniversary of Richard Henry Lee’s Resolution for Independence with Stratford Hall Historic Preserve, Westmoreland County, and the Virginia American Revolution 250 Commission! Plan for a weekend of revolutionary activity–living history interpreters and demonstrations, cavalry drills, historic speeches, a citizenship ceremony, fireworks, and plenty of food, music, and family fun. Stay tuned for more details and the full event schedule.

Saturday, June 6

Live Music
Food & Refreshments
Keynote Speech
Fireworks Show

Sunday, June 7

Citizenship Ceremony
Lee Family Interpreters
US Light Dragoon Cavalry Drills
Living History Demonstrations
Colonial Music Performances
Community Partner Booths
Food & Activities

RILL 2026: Virginia in 1776
2026-06-03 10:00 - 12:00 | Historic Christ Church, 420 Christ Church Road, Weems, VA, 22576, United States
On the eve of the 250th anniversary of American Independence, this course examines Virginia in the year 1776. Incorporating primary documents and images, the course looks at the pivotal roles Richard Henry Lee, George Mason, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington and others played in Virginia and nationally as the Revolution entered its second year. Offered in partnership with Rappahannock Community College’s Rappahannock Institute for Lifelong Learning program (RILL). Instructor: Robert Teagle, HCC&M Executive Director. Registration here: rappahannock.edu/foundation/lifelong-learning

Memorial Day Service
2026-05-25 11:00 - 12:30 | Historic Christ Church, 420 Christ Church Road, Weems, VA, 22576, United States
Sponsored by the Northern Neck Chapter, Military Officers Association of America; the Foundation for Historic Christ Church, and Grace Church, Kilmarnock.

Speaker Series: When the Declaration Was News
2026-05-17 14:00 - 16:00 | The Rappahannock Indigenous Conservation & Education Center, 2570 Newland Road, Warsaw, VA, 22572, United States
Publishing for the 250th anniversary of the United States, When the Declaration of Independence Was News focuses on the nation’s founding document at the moment of its creation in 1776, before anyone knew what the legacy of the Declaration would be or if the United States would win the war against Great Britain. It explores how the Declaration was communicated to people in the new nation and around the Atlantic world and reveals the stories of the many people involved in the process of declaring independence, from printers to soldiers to diplomats to translators.
About the Speaker:
Dr. Emily Sneff is an early American historian and leading expert on the Declaration of Independence. A graduate of John Hopkins University and the University of William and Mary, her interest in the Declaration of Independence began at the American Philosophical Society, where she was a member of the museum’s curatorial team for a series of exhibitions on Thomas Jefferson. Her career also led her to Harvard University where she was the Research Manager of the Declaration Resources Project.
She is currently a consulting curator for exhibitions planned for the 250th anniversary of the Declaration at the Museum of the American Revolution and the American Philosophical Society. Her recently published book, When the Declaration Was News, traces the dissemination of the Declaration of Independence through the United States and around the Atlantic in the summer and fall of 1776. You can learn more about Dr. Sneff’s work on her website, emilysneff.com.

Colonial Tea
2026-05-09 14:00 - 16:30 | Historic Christ Church, 420 Christ Church Road, Weems, VA, 22576, United States
Enjoy an afternoon tea with an array of delicious finger foods, sweets and a special appearance by a character from colonial Virginia. Tickets required.

Concert: Cantori Choral Ensemble
2026-04-19 16:00 - 18:00 | Historic Christ Church, 420 Christ Church Road, Weems, VA, 22576, United States
In keeping with choral music which would have been performed during the eighteenth century, Cantori Choral Ensemble will present a program of all a cappella music. Included in the selections will be familiar folk songs, songs of love both sacred and secular, and well-known spirituals. Tickets required

Speaker Series: The Constitution They Argued Over: Power, Democracy, and Compromise in 1787
2026-04-19 14:00 - 16:00 | Northern Neck Heritage Arts Center, 73 Monument Place, Heathsville, VA, 22473, United States
When delegates gathered in Philadelphia in the summer of 1787, they agreed on one thing: the young United States was in trouble. Independence had been won, but the nation’s first experiment in self-government, the Articles of Confederation, was failing. What no one agreed on was what should come next.
As James Madison and others urged the creation of an entirely new Constitution, one that would dramatically strengthen the national government, deep and competing fears came to the surface. Some delegates believed the Revolution had gone too far, that democracy was sliding into disorder. They pointed to state debtor relief laws, paper money schemes, and violent uprisings by farmers resisting taxes as evidence of “mob rule.” Others, however, feared the opposite danger: that concentrating power in a strong federal government, especially in a single executive, would betray the Revolution’s ideals and lead straight back to monarchy.
In this talk, University of Maryland constitutional historian Michael Ross will bring these high-stakes debates to life, revealing the anxieties, ambitions, and hard-fought compromises that emerged from the Constitutional Convention, and explaining how those decisions continue to shape American politics and government today.
About the Speaker:
Michael Ross is a Professor of History at the University of Maryland and a nationally recognized expert on U.S. constitutional and legal history. He is the author of numerous award-winning books and articles on the Supreme Court and the development of American law, including Justice of Shattered Dreams: Samuel Freeman Miller and the Supreme Court during the Civil War Era.
Professor Ross currently serves as Associate Editor of the Journal of Supreme Court History and has acted as a historical adviser to the United States Mint. He has twice been invited to deliver Silverman Lectures at the United States Supreme Court. Trained as both a historian and a lawyer, he earned his J.D. from Duke University School of Law and his Ph.D. in History from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Kirkin' o' th' Tartans
2026-04-12 13:30 - 14:30 | Historic Christ Church, 420 Christ Church Road, Weems, VA, 22576, United States
Traditional Scottish blessing & celebration. Full tartan/Scottish church service. Co-Sponsored with the Kilmarnock District & Pipe Band, St. Andrew’s Society of Williamsburg, Grace Episcopal Church.

Concert: Poisoned Dwarf
2026-04-11 16:00 - 17:30 | Historic Christ Church, 420 Christ Church Road, Weems, VA, 22576, United States
Poisoned Dwarf is a Celtic music group that plays virtuosic, innovative, and passionate renditions of traditional Irish and Scottish music on acoustic instruments. Five talented musicians, including Mei-Li Garcia (Beane), create a driving sonic energy that has been captivating audiences for over a decade with whistles, flutes, violin, guitar, percussion, and uilleann pipes together with exciting and lyrical vocals. Poisoned Dwarf performs at a wide variety of musical venues from highland festivals to theaters, from churches to sophisticated listening venues throughout the East Coast, to the occasional pub, just for fun. Don’t miss this high energy concert inside Christ Church, Lancaster (1735)! Tickets required.

Speaker Series: The Virginia Declaration of Rights at 250
2026-03-15 14:00 - 16:00 | Historic Christ Church, 420 Christ Church Road, Weems, VA, 22576, United States
The Virginia Declaration of Rights at 250

The Virginia Declaration of Rights, adopted unanimously by Virginia’s Fifth Convention on June 12, 1776, is a seminal, post-colonial state paper affirming republican principles, limited government, and humankind’s natural rights. It is arguably the most imitated of America’s founding documents. Indeed, it is one of the most influential texts in the American constitutional tradition. Often described as the first modern declaration or bill of rights in America, it is a distillation of the great principles of liberty and constitutionalism that revolutionary Americans believed were derived from English traditions and, more generally, western culture. The Virginia Declaration informed not only core principles of the US Declaration of Independence (1776) but also the language and content of numerous subsequent bills of rights in the respective states and nation. It also made profound innovations to the way Americans viewed religious liberty.

About the Speaker:
Daniel L. Dreisbach is a professor in the School of Public Affairs at American University in Washington, DC. He earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree from Oxford University, where he studied as a Rhodes Scholar, and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Virginia. His research interests include the intersection of religion, politics, and law in American history. He has authored or edited eleven books, including Reading the Bible with the Founding Fathers (Oxford University Press, 2017) and Thomas Jefferson and the Wall of Separation between Church and State (New York University Press, 2002). He has published numerous book chapters, reviews, and articles in scholarly journals, including American Journal of Legal History, Constitutional Commentary, Journal of Church and State, Politics and Religion, and William and Mary Quarterly. Professor Dreisbach is a past recipient of American University’s highest faculty award for teaching and research.

Celebrate George Washington’s Birthday
2026-02-22 10:00 - 17:00 | George Washington Birthplace National Monument, 1732 Popes Creek Road, Colonial Beach, VA, 22443, United States
Celebrate Washington’s Birthday at His Birthplace!

Join us on February 22 for a day of history and fun as we honor George Washington’s 294th birthday.

Feel the warmth of the hearth, hear the ring of the anvil and tap your toes to live music from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Memorial Area. At 2 p.m., you’re invited to enjoy cake and punch at a birthday party in the Log House, followed by a wreath-laying ceremony at 3:30 p.m. with the James Monroe Chapter SAR and horse-mounted park rangers.

As America approaches its own 250th birthday, come celebrate our first president at his birthplace and create a memory you’ll cherish long after the candles are out.

Plan your visit: https://nps.gov/gewa

Speaker Series: The Declaration at the Birth of Our Nation
2026-02-15 14:00 - 16:00 | University of Mary Washinton- Dahlgren Campus, 4224 University Drive, King George, VA, 22485, United States
The Declaration at the Birth of Our Nation
NNK 250 Speaker Series featuring Dr. Phil Levy
The Declaration of Independence has been called “American scripture.” The Constitution certainly has its celebrators, but there is a unique reverence reserved for the document that Americans see as the nation’s birth announcement. The Declaration’s elegant prose, and resonant list of complaints represent the melding of English thought and colonial experiences in the years after the Seven Years War. It is all too easy though to keep the Declaration in its protected glass case and not see it as it was seen and reacted to at the time of its drafting. This talk looks at the implications of the Declaration’s critique of the empire and how it was received by a country already at war for its independence and in states (former colonies) that had been busy declaring their own independence well before July 4th.
About the Speaker:
Philip Levy is a Professor of History at the University of South Florida and is an Organization of American Historians Distinguished Lecturer. He is the author of several books many of which deal with George Washington both as a person and as a national icon. Where the Cherry Tree Grew: The Story of Ferry Farm, George Washington’s Boyhood Home (2013) and George Washington Written Upon the Land: Nature, Memory, Myth, and Landscape (2015) focus on the places of Washington childhood. The Permanent Resident: Excavations and Explorations of the Life of George Washington (2022)explores the many sites of Washington’s life and how their stories have been shaped by archaeology and issues of memory and commemoration and won the Society for Historical Archaeology’s James Deetz Book Award. His newest book, Yard Birds: The Lives and Times of America’s Urban Chickens, tells a very different story from his other work and explores how chickens and cities have shaped one another.
