Constitution Day Celebration

Join us on Saturday, September 21 for specialty tours, activity booths, hikes, food trucks, and more.

8:00am – 10:30 – East Woods Hike at Montpelier: Plantation Below the Canopy – Free! registration required

10:00am – 3:00pm – Children Activities with Paint it Orange

10:00am – 3:00pm – Archaeology Artifacts and Information

10:00am – 3:00pm – Angel’s Kitchen on Wheels food vendor 

10:00am – 3:00pm – Open House tours with a focus on the unique role Montpelier played in the story of our Constitution. Begins on the portico of the Madison home and last entry at 2:30. Strollers, food, and drink are not permitted in the house.

10:00am – 3:00pm – Mr. Madison Meet and Greet

10:00am – 3:00pm – Touch-a-Truck with Orange County Fire Department and EMS

11:00am – 3:00pm – Old Line Fife and Drum Corps will be playing around the historic core, with two scheduled performances at 12:00 PM and 2:00 PM.

11:00am – Author Book Talk and Signing – Dr. Lindsey Cormack, Associate Professor of Political Science at Stevens Institute of Technology
FREE, Registration Required

Don’t miss an engaging and insightful discussion with Dr. Lindsey Cormack, author of How to Raise a Citizen (And Why It’s Up to You to Do It). In a time when civic knowledge is alarmingly sparse and political conversations are often avoided, Cormack’s book offers a vital tool for parents, educators, and anyone eager to foster civic engagement. Beginning with a 30 minute talk by the author, followed by a book signing, this event is perfect for those interested in learning how to discuss political issues and the workings of the U.S. government with younger generations. Cormack will share insights from her book, discuss the current state of civic education in America, and offer strategies for starting important political discussions at home. Attendees will also have the opportunity to participate in a Q&A session and get their copies of the book signed.

About Dr. Cormack: Lindsey Cormack is an associate professor of Political Science and Director of the Diplomacy Lab at Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, New Jersey. She earned her PhD in Government from New York University and is raising a daughter on the Upper East Side. She currently serves as the Secretary for Community Board 8 in Manhattan. She created and maintains the digital database of all official Congress-to-constituent e-newsletters in the DCInbox Project. Her research has been published in Political Behavior, Congress & the Presidency, Legislative Studies Quarterly, Political Science Research and Methods, American Politics Research, Politics & Policy, Politics Groups & Identities, Politics & Gender, The Journal of Gender Studies, Energy Economics, The Legislative Scholar as well as in popular outlets including the New York Times, The Washington Post, FiveThirtyEight, ProPublica, Roll Call, The New York Post, The Conversation, NBC News, the LSE USCentre, The Hill, and more.

Register

11:30am – Enslaved Community Tour – Free

1:30pm – Author Book Talk and Signing – Dr. Tyson Reeder, “Serpent in Eden: Foreign Meddling and Partisan Politics in James Madison’s America”
FREE, Registration Required

In the years after the American Revolution, James Madison feared that foreign nations would exploit Americans’ internal discord to destroy their newly won independence. To avoid that fate, he tried to frame a constitution that could accommodate political acrimony but withstand foreign intrusion into American political unrest. Forged in partisan conflict, the United States remains vulnerable to forces that test whether the constitutional system that Madison helped create can withstand foreign meddling while embracing political strife. Madison’s successes and failures, along with his original vision of the Constitution and party politics, illuminate the ongoing struggle between domestic polarization and foreign interference.

About Dr. Reeder: Dr. Tyson Reeder is a historian of early American politics, constitutionalism, and foreign relations at Brigham Young University and a recognized authority on James Madison. He most recently authored Serpent in Eden: Foreign Meddling and Partisan Politics in James Madison’s America. He edited The Routledge History of US Foreign Relations, and he wrote Smugglers, Pirates, and Patriots: Free Trade in the Age of Revolution. Before joining the faculty at BYU, he was a faculty member at the University of Virginia, where he was an editor of the Papers of James Madison.

Register

1:30pm – Enslaved Community Tour –  Free

2:00pm – Bill of Rights Walking Tour – FREE, registration required

2:30pm – Family Woods Walk – Explore the Landmark and Demonstration Forest. FREE

2:30pm – Tour of Montpelier Burial Ground of the Enslaved – Dr. Matthew Reeves will discuss the history of the burial ground, surveys we have conducted, and the excavations we are conducting this season to define the extent of the burials and ensure their protection. FREE

4:00 PM  “Montpelier – Lives of Meaning” a robust discussion with Eola Dance & George Monroe Jr. will close out the day with a discussion of “Montpelier Lives of Meaning” a short film and special initiative with Jeff Gomez, global storyteller and Michael Legato a photographer and filmmaker. “As we embark on a “collective journey” from the American Revolution to the U.S. Constitution we invite you to join  us and explore often hidden histories that illuminate and inform the continued struggle for a more perfect union” said Ms. Dance. 

Learn more about our distinguished panel:

• Mr. Jeffery Gomez
  Jeff Gomez, CEO of Starlight Runner, is a leading expert in story world development. His “Collective Journey” activates connections and belonging in place-based experiences and film, as well as responds to socio-political problem solving in governments and education in Mexico, Colombia, Australia, the Middle East North Africa, and more. 
• Mr. Michael Legato
  Michael Legato is an accomplished photographer and filmmaker known for his award-winning work with a diverse background spanning film, aerospace, and photography; he brings a wealth of experience to his creative endeavors.  Michael’s distinctive artistic approach is rooted in his ability to forge genuine connections with his subjects, notably featured in his portraiture captured on the film set of “Emancipation” by Apple Original Studios, which found a prestigious placement in a gallery experience at the 2023 Congressional Black Caucus annual meeting in Washington, DC.
• Mr. George Monroe Jr.
  George R. Monroe, Jr. is from Charlottesville, Virginia. He graduated from Virginia Union University in 1998 and later earned a Master of Liberal Arts/History degree from the University of Richmond. With 27 years of experience in the financial services industry, he has worked as the Senior Vice President of Operational Risk Management for top 10 national financial services firms. In addition to being a published author, veteran of the United States Marine Corps, and a serial entrepreneur, George is passionate about genealogy, history, and descendant engagement as either a member, and or consultant. His efforts have been widely featured and recognized by national publications and news outlets.
• Ms. Eola Lewis Dance
  Eola Lewis Dance has served as a public historian for 22 years, with the federal government and in the nonprofit experience. Eola’s career work demonstrates a commitment to the preservation of cultural landscapes, historic buildings, and key stories in telling the history of the making of America.  A recognized leader in descendant community engagement, Eola has led global, national, and Virginia initiatives exploring topics of freedom, race, gender, and class through research, preservation, and storytelling.