"It's July 4: Where Are You, James Madison?"

Description

What was James Madison doing on July 4, 1776? 

Hint: He wasn't signing the Declaration of Independence.

 Montpelier's Senior Research Historian Hilarie Hicks will look at the Fourth of July in several important years in Madison's life: from the Virginia Convention in 1776, to later years when July 4 was an occasion for celebration or mourning.

 

 

About Hilarie M. Hicks

Hilarie M. Hicks is the Senior Research Historian at James Madison’s Montpelier. Hilarie came to Montpelier in 2010 and joined the Research Department in 2011, where she conducts documentary research in support of the Montpelier Foundation’s many programs. She served on the research and writing team for the award-winning exhibition The Mere Distinction of Colour, and is currently writing biographies of the enslaved for The Naming Project on Montpelier’s Digital Doorway website. She is also a regular contributor to the website’s “Digging Deeper” blog. Her research interests include agriculture, livestock, and plantation operations at Montpelier, as well as the lives of James and Dolley Madison. Hilarie has served as a judge in the We the People student civics competition and has served as a board member of the Orange County Historical Society.

Hilarie has a broad background of experience in research, interpretation, and administration of historic sites. Before coming to Montpelier, Hilarie served as Curator of Interpretation at Tryon Palace Historic Sites & Gardens (New Bern, NC) and Executive Director of the Rosewell Foundation (Gloucester, VA). She is an alum of the College of William and Mary (B.A.), the Cooperstown Graduate Program in History Museum Studies (M.A.), and the Seminar for Historical Administration (now the AASLH History Leadership Institute).

Date & Time

Fri, Jul 5, 2024 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM

Venue Details

James Madisons Montpelier

13425 Visitor Center Road
Orange, Virginia 22960

James Madisons Montpelier