Feuding Founders: The Lee-Deane Conflict and the Political Bloodbath of 1778

The Feuding Founders is a multi-site public history initiative that humanizes Silas Deane, John Jay, and the Lee brothers of Virginia—men who were in conversation, in collaboration, and sometimes in conflict with one another.

The day opens with a special guided tour of Menokin, home of Francis Lightfoot Lee, in Richmond County. Lunch at Stratford Hall in Westmoreland County will be followed by a brief presentation and opportunity to hear from historians representing each partner institution as they build a more layered, more human portrait of Jay, Deane, and the Lees—their relationships to power and to one another. A special guided tour of Stratford Hall, cradle of the revolutionary generation of Lee brothers and sisters precedes a reception that concludes the Feuding Founders event and precedes the evening keynote lecture of the NNK250 Discovery Symposium: The American Experiment. The Symposium speaker is Dr. Krystyn Moon, Professor of History and American Studies at the University of Mary Washington.

An “All-Access Pass” can be purchased for $55* and includes all Feuding Founders events, a boxed lunch, and access to the evening reception. Alternatively, visitors can register for the lunch, roundtable, or Great House tour individually. Tickets for the NNK250 Discovery Symposium are purchased separately. *Not including fees. Discounts are available for Friends of Stratford members. Only orders placed by 11:59 PM on Wednesday, November 4 are guaranteed a boxed lunch. The options are chicken salad, ham & cheddar, or turkey & swiss (all served with lettuce, tomato and condiments on the side) with bagged chips, pickle, a cookie and bottled water.

GET TICKETS HERE

REGISTER FOR VIRTUAL ROUNDTABLE HERE

Schedule of Events:

10:00 – 11:30 a.m. Guided Tour of Menokin (4037 Menokin Rd, Warsaw, VA 22572)

12:00 – 12:45 p.m. Lunch at Stratford Hall Dining Room (792 Great House Rd, Stratford, VA 22558) $20 box lunches are available for preorder through Wednesday, November 4. 

1:00 – 2:30 p.m. Feuding Founders Roundtable (duPont Memorial Library, 251 Great House Rd). Registration is $5 to attend this session virtually.

3:00 – 4:30 p.m. Guided Tour of the Stratford Hall Great House with Dr. Gordon Blaine Steffey

5:00 – 6:00 p.m. Feuding Founders/NNK250 Reception (Dining Hall, 792 Great House Rd)

6:30 – 8:00 p.m. NNK250 Discovery Symposium: The American Experiment Keynote with Dr. Krystyn Moon (Council House, 862 Great House Rd). Admission to this event can be purchased at the door or through the NNK250 Discovery Symposium event page. Registration is $10 to attend this lecture virtually.

Extend your stay by reserving a room in the Cheek Guest House or Astor Guest House at $159* per night! Visit our lodging website, call (804) 493-1967 or email reservations@stratfordhall.org. *Subject to taxes and fees. Log cabins not included in offer.