Good George, Bad George: Our First President Reconsidered
Denver Brunsman is Associate Professor of History at George Washington University. He is a co-author of several textbooks, including Liberty, Equality, Power: A History of the American People and Leading Change: George Washington and Establishing the Presidency. Professor Brunsman’s many honors include the Trachtenberg Prize for Teaching Excellence and induction into the George Washington University Academy of Distinguished Teachers.
Overview
In recent years, no subject has been safe from re-evaluation, including the country’s very first leader, George Washington. This lecture will use the current cultural moment to reconsider our first president in commemoration of the 291st anniversary of Washington’s birth. His conduct as a slaveholder has diminished his reputation among many who do not accept that “times were different back then.” In this talk, Professor Denver Brunsman will share a host of other areas–many surprising–in which America’s Father can still inspire and guide us. From topics as weighty as democratic norms, to as seemingly trivial as pet names, Washington’s example remains as relevant as ever.