Discover the rich history of the plantation and historic house on this guided tour. Property pass included in ticket price.
Find more James Madisons Montpelier Events
Description
Researching enslaved people is one of the most challenging tasks a historian or genealogist can undertake, but why? In this program you will discover the unique challenges faced by researchers trying to uncover the lives of enslaved people in America. Then explore how Montpelier is using fragmentary documents to create a rich narrative that honors the legacies of those enslaved through the Naming Project and the award-winning exhibition the Mere Distinction of Colour. The video “Fate in the Balance” will be a springboard for discussing new insights into the lives of Ellen Stewart and her family.
*Registration is required. We recommend that you bring lunch. Light refreshments will be provided.
Location: Lewis Hall Classroom
About the Speakers
Hilarie M. Hicks is currently the Senior Research Historian James Madison’s Montpelier, where she has been on staff since 2010. She served on the research and writing team for the award-winning exhibition The Mere Distinction of Colour, and is currently the project director for an upcoming exhibition on James Madison and Freedom of Conscience. Hilarie writes biographies of the enslaved for The Naming Project on Montpelier’s Digital Doorway website, and has contributed to the site’s blog on a wide variety of Madisonian topics.
Hilarie serves as a judge in the We the People student civics competition and is a past board member of the Orange County Historical Society. 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 History Leadership Institute).
Emily Stanfill is the Manager of Student, Family, and Digital Programs at James Madison’s Montpelier. Emily came to Montpelier in 2016 and joined the Education Department as a Historic Interpreter before becoming the Manager of Student Programs in 2021. In her role, Emily oversees the planning and coordination of fieldtrip experiences for the thousands of students that visit Montpelier annually. She serves as the primary coordinator for Montpelier’s yearly We the Kids Day public event, and is currently creating new programing to engage families at Montpelier.
Prior to her time at Montpelier, Emily worked as both and Archaeologist and a Genealogist. She is an alumna of St. Lawrence University (B.A.) and has a certificate in Genealogy Research from Boston University. She began researching the lives of enslaved people at Oak Hill plantation in 2021, and published her findings in 2025 in the Bulletin of Loudoun County History.
Date & Time
Sat, Feb 28, 2026 1:00 PM - 4:30 PM
Venue Details
James Madisons Montpelier
13425 Visitor Center RoadOrange, Virginia 22960
