Co-Sponsored with the Lexington Minutemen.

In the fall of 2018, Nathaniel Philbrick endeavored to follow in the literal footsteps of George Washington: tracing his 1789 presidential tour of the new United States.

Just months into his presidency, Washington was tasked with uniting a nation of thirteen disparate colonies with very different experiences and thoughts about their new leader. Hoping to prove that the American people were not simply trading one King George for another, he made his way from Maine down to Georgia to meet with the inhabitants of the fledgling country and prove his mettle.

Philbrick's new book echoes this inaugural tour, as he traveled from historic sites across the original 13 colonies, meeting with reenactors, tour guides, museum curators, and others who grapple with Washington's iconic status and contradictions. At a time when the American public, and museums in particular, are trying to make sense of this enigmatic founding father during a time of deep political division, Philbrick learned not just about this snippet of Washington's life, but the hold that his story still has on America.

New to Lexington Historical Society? Here's what you need to know - the Historical Society is an independent non-profit passionate about preserving Lexington's history and sharing it with the public. We maintain four historic buildings in Lexington, Massachusetts, three of which are witness houses to the events of the early days of the American Revolution.

We collaborate with community partners to record and interpret Lexington's rich diversity. The Society has extensive collections from throughout three hundred years of Lexington history, which we display in engaging exhibits in many venues throughout our community and online.

To learn more:
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WEBSITE: https://www.lexingtonhistory.org