June 4, 2026 Pat Brodowski, retired vegetable gardener of Monticello, will present “From Forager to Farmer, the Domestication of Food Plants in the Americas with attention to Monacan Agriculture.” Greene County, Virginia is adjacent to the Eastern Agricultural Complex, one of 5 world sites where cultivation of plant foods began. We will examine the early Monacan plant foods and the impact of plant introduction, and attitudes toward production and dispersion

May 7, 2026 Members of Highland’s Council of Descendant Advisors are strategic partners of James Monroe’s Highland, providing direction and collaboration on community events and activities as well as content, theme, and tone of Highland’s public interpretation. This presentation by Highland executive director Sarah Bon-Harper will discuss the practice of shared authority between staff and descendants, and the results of a robust partnership since 2017. Ms. Bon-Harper will also share

April 2, 2026 Join us to hear Dr. Shelley Murphy discuss how Central Virginia was involved the American Revolution and hear about the events and the contributions from the area counties. April 2 at 4:00 at Jefferson School African American History Center

March 5, 2026 Cinder Stanton, who was spoiled by years of research in the huge Jefferson-Monticello archive, will talk about learning the ropes in a new research landscape, highlighting the challenges of recovering the human stories of enslaved people on a plantation whose wealthy owners left virtually no personal papers. Sunnyside, just outside Lexington, was a 600-acre mixed grain and livestock plantation–called one of the finest in the county–supported until

February 5, 2026 Robert K. D. Colby will explore the survival of the slave trade during the Civil War. It will consider why Confederates continued to buy and sell people during the conflict, as well as what this meant for enslaved people pursuing their freedom. February 5 at 4:00 on Zoom

January 8, 2026 This session offers an engaging and eye-opening journey through Charlottesville’s often-overlooked or unknown local history. You will be introduced to the Beloved Community Tours website—a free online learning resource designed to make inclusive local history accessible to all. View a curated selection of short documentary films, hear from narrators about their personal connections to the sites, and learn about Beloved Community Cville’s exciting new projects. January 8

December 4, 2025 Our last meeting of 2025. Come and share holiday treats and tell the group what you are interested in or working on in your research. We welcome contributions of celebratory fare, but mostly we will welcome you! December 4, at 4 o’clock, IN PERSON at the Jefferson School African American Heritage Center In 2026 we will meet January, February, and March on zoom.

November 6, 2025 This presentation will review and compare the changing economic status of Black and white residents of Albemarle County derived from delinquent tax records in the papers of the Virginia Auditor of Public Accounts. These records parallel land tax and personal property tax records but list individuals who did not pay taxes. Delinquent personal property taxes sometimes give the status of taxpayers, such as dead, no effects, or

October 2, 2025 The Orange County Historical Society (OCHS) is conducting ongoing research to compile an inventory of free Blacks in antebellum Orange County, 1734-1865. Orange County free Blacks have been little documented, yet evidence exists of a diverse population with a variety of backgrounds, skills, and family/social connections within the county and surrounding region. This group included individuals who were free-born, emancipated, and who purchased their freedom. Their skills

September 4, 2025 The Digital Archive of Slavery to Freedom At Monticello (DASFAM) envisions a database that accumulates every reference to the people enslaved at Monticello, building a more comprehensive story of genealogical history, travel, commerce, and social dynamics from the 18th century onwards. The team will share the project’s structure and welcome feedback on features, layout, and representation. No CVHR Meeting in August. See you in September! September 4