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George Washington, hero of the French and Indian War, commander in chief of the Continental Army and first president of the United States, died on December 14, 1799. Shortly thereafter, the myth-making surrounding Washington began and has persisted today. Washington is frequently portrayed by his biographers as America at its unflinching best: tall, shrewd, determined, resilient, stalwart and tremendously effective in action. But this aggressive and muscular version of Washington is largely a creation of the nineteenth century. Eighteenth-century ideals of upper-class masculinity would have preferred a man with refined aesthetic tastes, elegant movements and the ability to clearly articulate his emotions. At the same time, these eighteenth-century men subjected themselves to intense hardship and inflicted incredible amounts of violence on each other, their families, their neighbors and the people they enslaved. In his new book, First Among Men: George Washington and the Myth of American Masculinity, Maurizio Valsania, professor of history at the University of Torino, considers Washington’s complexity and apparent contradictions in three main areas—his physical life, his emotional world and his social persona—and challenges us to reconsider what we think we know about Washington.The talk will last approximately 45 minutes, followed by a book signing. Copies of the book will be available to purchase at the event.
Registration is requested. All programs are held in person. Virtual options are available.
Learn more and register: https://www.americanrevolutioninstitute.org/event/authors-talk-first-among-men-george-washington-and-the-myth-of-american-masculinity/
Currently, all visitors to Anderson House age 2 and older are required to wear a mask while attending a historical program or visiting the museum or library.
Read our full COVID safety guidelines here: https://www.americanrevolutioninstitute.org/covid-19-safety-guidelines/?fbclid=IwAR3lm3-mISubakUmovt_ybe31ePWBaYlJIkMh15-jO57K9uvZuqfFBaxL6k
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
American Revolution Institute, 2118 Massachusetts Ave NW,Washington D.C., United States, Washington