HOLLYWOOD, Md. — Historic Sotterley will present a lecture examining George Washington’s complex relationship with slavery and how that history has shaped American memory.
The event, titled “Thy Will Be Done,” will feature historian and author John Garrison Marks on July 1, 2026, from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Barn Event Space at Sotterley, located at 44300 Sotterley Lane in Hollywood. A pre-reception with light refreshments will begin at 6:30 p.m., with an opportunity to meet the speaker and purchase a signed copy of his book.
Marks will explore how Americans have remembered, reinterpreted, or obscured Washington’s role as a slaveholder since his death. Washington enslaved more people than any other Founding Father, yet he was the only one among them to emancipate those he held in bondage. Generations of politicians, educators, activists, and descendants have used this history in broader debates about national identity.
In his 2026 book, Thy Will Be Done: George Washington’s Legacy of Slavery and the Fight for American Memory, Marks traces how this contradiction has been handled over time. He examines the ways different groups have shaped public understanding of Washington’s legacy to serve political and cultural purposes in their own eras.
The lecture is free and open to the public in a hybrid format. In-person attendees can register at sotterley.org. Virtual attendance is available via Zoom.
Sotterley, a National Historic Landmark in St. Mary’s County, has long served as a site for public conversations about early American history, including the institution of slavery. Events like this one connect local audiences with national historical questions.
Marks is a historian and writer whose work has appeared in The Atlantic, Washington Post, TIME, and Smithsonian Magazine. He serves as a senior staff member at the American Association for State and Local History and earned his Ph.D. from Rice University.
