Category: Rick Britton

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Edward Coles: Albemarle Emancipator

Bruce Carveth speaking at the Senior Center in Charlottesville

On Thursday, September 20, 2012, Bruce Carveth presented the third lecture in our series entitled “Virginia History 301: The Old Dominion in Antebellum Times.”

Carveth tells the story of Edward Coles, an Albemarle County native, who, on April 14, 1819, freed his slaves. The freeing of slaves by ones will was rare, freeing slaves while their master still lived was almost unheard of according to Carveth. Listen as he recounts the amazing events of Cole’s life.

Bruce Carveth is a writer, editor, database developer and independent scholar currently living in Charlottesville, Virginia. Born and raised in Toronto, Ontario, Mr. Carveth moved to Central Virginia in 1983. He discovered the little known story of Edward Coles in 1998 then joined forces with his writing partner Kurt Leichtle to publish Crusade Against Slavery: Edward Coles, Pioneer of Freedom in 2011.

Mr. Carveth has an MA in applied social and community psychology from the University of Guelph in Ontario, and a masters degree in urban and regional planning from Virginia Tech.

The series was organized by award-winning historian and Charlottesville-based author, lecturer, and cartographer Rick Britton in conjunction with the Senior Center in Charlottesville.

This is the third of a four part Thursday series. Click here listen all four parts of this series.

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Virginia Architecture in the Mid 19th Century

Ed Lay speaking at the Senior Center in Charlottesville

On Thursday, September 13, 2012, Ed Lay presented the second lecture in our series entitled “Virginia History 301: The Old Dominion in Antebellum Times.”

Mr. Lay explains how classical forms of architecture, a form which originated in Greece, became known as the “National Style” in the mid 1800s in America. Ed points out that in the American deep south the practice of surrounding homes with Greek-style columns was popular until the Civil War. He continues with specific examples of buildings embodying this form, many of which can still be found in the Charlottesville area. Following his presentation, Mr. Lay answered questions from the audience.

Mr. Lay is the Cary D. Langhorne Professor Emeritus of Architecture at the University of Virginia. A veritable font of architectural knowledge on the Old Dominion, Professor Lay has also taught abroad in Edinburgh and Vicenza.

The series was organized by award-winning historian and Charlottesville-based author, lecturer, and cartographer Rick Britton in conjunction with the Senior Center in Charlottesville.

This is the second of a four part Thursday series. Click here listen all four parts of this series.

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Slavery in 19th Century Virginia

Beth Taylor speaking at the Senior Center in Charlottesville

On Thursday, September 6, 2012, Beth Taylor presented the first lecture in a new series entitled “Virginia History 301: The Old Dominion in Antebellum Times.”

In this podcast, you will learn about how the practice of slavery became institutionalized in the American South. According to Taylor, field slaves worked 19 hour days sometimes in extreme temperatures. A slave’s working life could begin as early as age 6. By age 12, they were considered to be adults and assigned an adult’s work load. Taylor wraps up with the 1831 story of Nat Turner’s Rebellion, the bloodiest slave revolt in American history.

Ms. Taylor has served as director of interpretation at Jefferson’s Monticello and as director of education at James Madison’s Montpelier. She is also a fellow at the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities.

Taylor’s first book, A Slave in the White House: Paul Jennings and the Madisons was a New York Times best seller and a National Book Award nominee. She has appeared on The Daily Show, with Jon Stewart.

The series was organized by award-winning historian and Charlottesville-based author, lecturer, and cartographer Rick Britton in conjunction with the Senior Center in Charlottesville.

This is the first of a four part Thursday series. Click here listen all four parts of this series.

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Thomas Walker and The Founding of Charlottesville

Local historian Rick Britton speaking in the City of Charlottesville Council Chambers Wednesday.

Of the neglected figures in history, wrote Archibald Henderson, Thomas Walker is easily the most distinguished. In this podcast, local historian Rick Britton talks about Thomas Walker, Walker’s relationship with Thomas Jefferson, and how Walker came to establish the town of Charlottesville.

Today’s lecture is one of a noontime series offered by the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities in conjunction with Charlottesville Tomorrow and Celebrate!250. The series concludes March 6, 2012. Our podcast is moderated by Charlottesville Tomorrow’s Jennifer Marley.

Audio of today’s event was provided by Charlottesville TV10 and is used here with permission.

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Virginia History with Rick Britton: Rick’s Top Five Civil War Movies

Virginia History with Rick Britton

Airing on the second and fourth Sundays of each month, CPN’s Dan Gould talks with local award-winning historian and cartographer, Rick Britton about a wide range of subjects from Virginia’s colorful 18th and 19th centuries.

In this episode, Rick shares his top five Civil War movies. Is yours on Rick’s list? Listen in to find out.

This is the final episode for this series.



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Virginia History with Rick Britton: Civil War Blockade Runners

Virginia History with Rick Britton

Airing on the second and fourth Sundays of each month, CPN’s Dan Gould talks with local award-winning historian and cartographer, Rick Britton about a wide range of subjects from Virginia’s colorful 18th and 19th centuries.

In this episode, Dan talks to Rick about the Federal naval blockades in the American Civil War and how the South found ways to run them. Blockade running was so profitable that a Southern captain could afford to loose his ship after only two runs. Learn why blockade runners never fired on Federal ships. In answer to Dan’s question, 16 knots is approximately 18 miles per hour.

Click here to listen to all the episodes in this series.



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Virginia History with Rick Britton: Civil War Christmas

Virginia History with Rick Britton

Airing on the second and fourth Sundays of each month, CPN’s Dan Gould talks with local award-winning historian and cartographer, Rick Britton about a wide range of subjects from Virginia’s colorful 18th and 19th centuries.

In this, our special Christmas day episode, Dan talks to Rick about Christmas and the American Civil War and how some of the iconic Christmas images we know today were created during this period. Learn how soldiers looked forward to receiving a Christmas package from home and how they were sometimes disappointed.

Rick’s book, “Jefferson, A Monticello Sampler”, described in this podcast, is available here.

Click here to listen to all the episodes in this series.



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Virginia History with Rick Britton: The Cat That Would Not Boil

Virginia History with Rick Britton

Airing on the second and fourth Sundays of each month, CPN’s Dan Gould talks with local award-winning historian and cartographer, Rick Britton about a wide range of subjects from Virginia’s colorful 18th and 19th centuries.

In this episode, Dan talks to Rick about how a Civil War army on the move fed itself. Learn about the “mess”, the basic cooking unit of a marching army, and about “the cat that would not boil”.

Click here to listen to all the episodes in this series.



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Ex President James Monroe

Dennis Bigelow speaking at the Charlottesville Senior Center.

Rick Britton is a Charlottesville-based author, lecturer, and cartographer. An award-winning historian, Rick also organizes history-related lecture classes in conjunction with the Charlottesville Senior Center.

On October 11, 2011, Fifth President James Monroe – in the flesh! – presented the final lecture in a new series entitled “Virginia History 201: Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe, A Dynasty of Friends.” Monroe, of course, passed away in 1831 (on the Fourth of July), but historical interpreter extraordinaire Dennis Bigelow – in his period clothing, and possessed of a fascinating amount of historical detail – is the personification of our fifth president. (A Vietnam veteran and well-trained thespian, Mr. Bigelow portrays James Monroe for Ash-Lawn Highland, the president’s restored “cabin castle.”) Listen and learn about Monroe’s amazing political career.

This is the final part of our five part series. Click here listen all five parts of this series.

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Virginia History with Rick Britton: Cities on the Move

Virginia History with Rick Britton

Airing on the second and fourth Sundays of each month, CPN’s Dan Gould talks with local award-winning historian and cartographer, Rick Britton about a wide range of subjects from Virginia’s colorful 18th and 19th centuries.

In this episode, Dan talks to Rick about how a marching Civil War army was like a city on the move. Learn how soldiers coped with the boredom of long marches and about the instant “cities” that sprang up when they ended.

Click here to listen to all the episodes in this series.

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Dolley Madison of Montpelier

Meg Kennedy speaking at the Charlottesville Senior Center.

Meg Kennedy speaking at the Charlottesville Senior Center.

Rick Britton is a Charlottesville-based author, lecturer, and cartographer. An award-winning historian, Rick also organizes history-related lecture classes in conjunction with the Charlottesville Senior Center.

On Thursday, October 6th, Meg Kennedy presented the fourth lecture in a new series entitled “Virginia History 201: Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe, A Dynasty of Friends.” Research Coordinator for the Mansion Interiors Initiative at James Madison’s Montpelier, Kennedy talks about Dolley Madison’s early life as a Quaker, her tragic family losses to the dreaded Yellow Fever, her marriage to James Madison-principle framer of the Constitution-and her wonderful, and welcoming, influence over the White House in the early days of the Republic. Listen and learn about our nation’s first “First Lady!”

This is the forth of five parts for this series. Click here listen all five parts of this series.

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Presidential Plantation Slavery

Beth Taylor speaking at the Charlottesville Senior Center.

Beth Taylor speaking at the Charlottesville Senior Center.

Rick Britton is a Charlottesville-based author, lecturer, and cartographer. An award-winning historian, Rick also organizes history-related lecture classes in conjunction with the Charlottesville Senior Center.

On Thursday, September 22, 2011, Beth Taylor presented the third lecture in our continuing series entitled “Virginia History 201: Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe, A Dynasty of Friends.” An historian who’s developed slavery-related interpretive programs at both Montpelier and Monticello, Taylor herein delivers fascinating details about slave life on the plantations owned by the author of the Declaration and the architect of the Constitution. Were enslaved African Americans at Jefferson’s Monticello or Madison’s Montpelier treated any better than bondsmen on other Virginia plantations? Listen and find out!

This is the third of five parts for this series. Click here listen all five parts of this series.