Author Talk: John Garrison Marks on Washington's Legacy of Slavery

The Author Series Committee at DPL is pleased to welcome historian John G. Marks, who will be discussing his latest book, Thy Will Be Done: George Washington’s Legacy of Slavery and the Fight for American Memory (The University of North Carolina Press, 2026). The book raises a key question about the first president: How should we remember George Washington’s entanglement in slavery?

For the better part of 250 years, Americans have viewed Washington’s entanglements with slavery through the lens of their particular cultural and political moments, selectively remembering Washington’s history as one of the nation’s most prolific enslavers and the architect of one of the its largest private emancipations. The book dives deep into this history, exploring how successive generations have grappled with slavery’s place in Washington’s legacy, offering a new historical foundation for today’s debates about slavery and the nation’s founding.

About John: John Garrison Marks is a historian and writer exploring the United States' histories of race, slavery, and public memory. He is the author or editor of three books, and his writing has appeared in the Washington Post, TIME, Smithsonian Magazine, and elsewhere. His latest book,Thy Will Be Done: George Washington's Legacy of Slavery and the Fight for American Memory, explores how generations of Americans have made sense of George Washington's involvement in slavery. Marks currently works as the Vice President of Research and Engagement for the American Association for State and Local History, the national professional association for public history practitioners and institutions. He earned his Ph.D. in history from Rice University. He is a New Jersey native currently living outside Washington, DC.

Copies of John's book will be available for purchase from . This is NOT a ticketed event, which means copies are available first-come, first-serve. Questions? Email [email protected]!

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