
The Age of Astonishment
In this webinar, recorded October 6, 2020, Bill Morris discusses The Age of Astonishment, his forthcoming nonfiction book about his grandfather, John Morris. In the century in which he lived, …

Court Square as a Public Space
This conversation about the meaning and importance of Charlottesville’s Court Square as a public space, features Elgin Cleckley, Assistant Professor of Architecture, Education, and Health at UVA; Justin Reid, Director …

Searching for Black Confederates
In this webinar, recorded July 9 2020, historian and educator Kevin Levin discusses his highly-acclaimed Searching for Black Confederates: The Civil War’s Most Persistent Myth with Jalane Schmidt. “Levin’s timely …

A Biography of the Domestic Slave Trade
While the domestic slave trade is widely acknowledged as a significant force in American history, it is less commonly understood that the trade itself has a history and that it …

Meet Elsabé Dixon
As Executive Director of the Danville Museum of Fine Arts & History (DMFAH), Elsabé Dixon is currently overseeing a $10,000 grant from Virginia Humanities supporting production of a new orientation film for the museum.

The Secret Life of an Encyclopedia Entry
By Nora Pehrson – Virginia Humanities Communications Intern Since publishing its first content in 2008, our Encyclopedia Virginia (EV) has created a trove of nearly 2,000 entries, spanning topics from …

History Writ Aright
By Brendan Wolfe, editor Encyclopedia Virginia What does that even mean, history writ aright? Aside from it being a quotation from a speech I recently read, I mean. It’s a question I’ve wondered …

From the Archives to the Stage
By David Bearinger Elizabeth “Betty” Ann Pitts was born into slavery near Onancock, on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. In 1853, she married Parker Pitts, a free man, although the state did …

Stepping into Myth
One of the most persistent legends surrounding the Battle of Gettysburg, which took place 150 years ago, is that it was fought over shoes. Encyclopedia Virginia‘s Brendan Wolfe examines the real reasons behind the battle.