Robert H. Smith International Center for Jefferson Studies

Join us for this year’s American Academy of Diplomacy Conference, Friday, November 17th at Montalto. This thought-provoking forum will explore the overarching issues involved in balancing political and economic interest with democracy and promotion in Latin America, featuring a highly specialized group of educators and senior diplomats with deep experience in the region. Today, when democracy itself is increasingly under challenge, this program should not be missed.

Registration is open!

Annual AAD Conference: The Monroe Doctrine and Democracy in Latin America A thought-provoking forum designed to explore the overarching issues involved in balancing political and economic issues with democracy promotion in the Latin America region, featuring a highly specialized group of educators and senior diplomats.

This forum has been rescheduled for THURSDAY, October 26th at 4pm for a Hybrid Fellow's Forum with Danish historian and curator at the Reventlow Museum, Louise Sebro. Dr. Sebro will present on her new project: "Freedom! - Ideal and practice in the reform works of Thomas Jefferson and Christian Reventlow."

This project will compare these two men, looking specifically at the interplay between their ideas for the future and the material realities that underpinned their elite lives. Through this comparison she hopes to create a better understanding of how their ideals of personal freedom could function alongside their lives based upon systems of slavery, colonialism, and premodern feudal notions of difference between the three estates of society.

Find out more, including how to attend here:

Freedom! - Ideal and Practice...Thomas Jefferson and Christian Reventlow Ideal and Practice in the Reform Works of Thomas Jefferson and Christian Reventlow

Interim Saunders Director and Historian, Frank Cogliano, along with Kathleen Burk (University College London) and Nicholas Guyatt (University of Cambridge) spoke with Melvyn Bragg, host of BBC Radio 4's "In Our Time" recently. You can listen to the episode here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001r7sv

What Were Thomas Jefferson’s Favorite Books? Have you ever wondered if your favorite books were the same as Thomas Jefferson’s? He had a passion for education and a love of books and reading throughout his entire life. In this episode, we explore what type of books he had and what some of his favorites may have been. Monticello Guide Olivia ...

TOMORROW (Thursday, September 14th at 4pm) - Say Anarcha: A young Woman, A Devious Surgeon, and the Harrowing Birth of Modern Women's Health.

Find out more here: https://www.monticello.org/research-education/for-scholars/international-center-for-jefferson-studies/talks-lectures-symposia-conferences/say-anarch/

Looking for Fellowship Opportunities? Specifically opportunities to study Early American history - vastly conceived?

Join Samantha Snyder, John Ragosta, Peter Inker as well as staff and fellows from the Omohundro Institute for an OI Coffeehouse, WEDNESDAY 23 August at 12 pm for a discussion of fellowships and other opportunities at the George Washington Presidential Library at Mount Vernon, the Robert H. Smith International Center for Jefferson Studies, the Colonial Williamburg Foundation, and the Omohundro Institute.

More information here:

OI Coffeehouse – OIEAHC Connecting Vast Early America

Join us Tuesday, August 22, from 4-5 p.m. ET for a hybrid Fellow’s Forum with Simone Muhammad, MA Student in Anthropology at California State University, Fullerton.

Rebirthed in Clay A Re-Examination of Afro-Crucian Ware and Cultural Identity in 18th – 19th St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands

Join us in welcoming Professor Frank Cogliano to Monticello!

Monticello Announces New Interim Saunders Director of the International Center for Jefferson Studies, Frank Cogliano CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA – The Thomas Jefferson Foundation, the private nonprofit that owns and operates Monticello, is pleased to announce Professor Frank Cogliano as the interim Saunders Director of the Robert H. Smith International Center for Jefferson Studies (ICJS) at Monticello.

Join us WEDNESDAY, August 16th at 4pm ET for a Fellow's Forum with Andy Hammann, Postdoctoral Fellow at the Kinder Institute on Constitutional Democracy at the University of Missouri.

Hammann will speak about his book project: "Freedom in Black and White: The Politics of Slavery and Black Expatriation in Nineteenth Century America". Find out more information here:

Freedom in Black and White The Politics of Slavery and Black Expatriation in Nineteenth Century America

The ICJS' own John Ragosta has been very busy recently! In addition to his interview with The Jack Miller Center (our earlier post), he has also written a piece for UVA Engagement: "The Rules for a Democracy – And How the Founders Struggled with Them".

Read it here: https://engagement.virginia.edu/learn/thoughts-from-the-lawn/majority%20rules-John%20Ragosta