Endangered Artifacts
The James Monroe Museum was proud to participate in this year’s Top 10 Endangered Artifacts competition sponsored by the Virginia Association of Museums. The Museum entered a pair of umbrellas presented to President Monroe and the Marquis de Lafayette during the latter's tour of the United States in 1824-25. A reception highlighting the entries was hosted on February 7 at the Virginia Museum of History and Culture in Richmond. Virginia museums in the competition benefit greatly from the public awareness and cash awards for artifact conservation provided by the Top 10 program. The James Monroe Museum received $750 to apply toward conservation of the umbrellas.
In addition to recognition at the reception, the Museum was honored to receive congratulations from our representatives in the General Assembly. UMW Museums Executive Director Scott Harris is shown with Senator Bryce E. Reeves (R-17th District) and Delegate Robert M. "Bob" Thomas, Jr. (R-28th District). 
Mark your calendars!
Thursday, March 28, 7:00-8:30 PM
Women's History Month Program - There is No Sex in Soul
Location: Monroe Hall, Room 116,
University of Mary Washington
Dr. Carol Berkin, historian and Presidential Professor of American Colonial and Revolutionary History and Women's History at Baruch College discusses Judith Sargent Murray whose Gleaner Essays were among the first defenses of woman’s intellectual equality in the new republic. 
Curator's Corner
This month’s Curator’s Corner features our new exhibit James Monroe: the Library of a President. Created by Heidi Stello, the exhibit examines the contents and significance of James Monroe’s personal library.
Monroe owned approximately 3,000 books over the course of his lifetime. According to Ms. Stello, “The contents reflected his concern for the public good and his appreciation of reason and culture. A 19th-century audience would have immediately recognized the majority of the titles, over half of which focused history, politics, law, or philosophy.
His wide-ranging interests are evident in his ownership of works of science, geography, religion, and even chess. A strong presence of drama, poetry, and novels balanced the more functional nature of the collection. The majority of Monroe’s books were sold at auction and dispersed following his death in 1831."
A common question visitors may have is whether the books are made out of parchment – they are not. The majority of books in the late 18th and early 19th century were made from bound paper, whereas parchment is calf-skin, sheep-skin, or goat-skin scraped thin, stretched and dried (vellum is parchment made exclusively from calf-skin).
Come see our new exhibit James Monroe: The Library of a President to learn more about this fascinating aspect of James Monroe’s life.
What's In Store? - $9.95 each
Women in the White House Knowledge Cards
America’s First Ladies have served as role models in all phases of the country’s history. These cards explore nearly four dozen lives that turn out to be unexpectedly fascinating, often moving, and occasionally outrageous. Accompanied by engaging historical images and presented in a Q&A format that is equally entertaining as a pub-style quiz or as a solitary read, this deck of cards is sure to entertain.
What Happened Here? Revolutionary War Quiz Deck
We all know the outcome of the Revolutionary War, but do you know which Canadian cities Americans attacked during the struggle, where history’s first military submarine was used, or who became the first woman to fight in uniform for the United States? Equally engaging as a solo study or a multiplayer game, this deck of 48 easy-to-read cards tests your knowledge of America’s quest for independence.
Library of Congress: American Revolutionary Knowledge Cards
This quiz deck’s 48 cards test your knowledge of America’s founding struggle. Each card’s front bears a question, such as “Why didn’t George Washington sign the Declaration of Independence?” or “Which of the original 13 colonies was never invaded by the British?” The answer is on the back. Like its companion deck—What Happened Here? The American Revolutionary War—it’s an enjoyable read for a single patriot or a fast-paced challenge for a whole brigade.








Musings
by Scott H. Harris, Executive Director,
University of Mary Washington Museums

Mark your calendars for March 19, 2019, the third annual Mary Wash Giving Day!  This online fundraising endeavor has become a major source of much-needed support for a wide range of activities at the University of Mary Washington, including Gari Melchers Home and Studio and the James Monroe Museum.
Regular hours are back!
Spring is just around the corner. We're excited to announce the Museum will resume it's regular hours. On March 1st, the Museum begin closing at 5:00 PM.
Warm Welcome
The James Monroe Museum is pleased to welcome our new Public Programs Coordinator, Lindsey Crawford, who starts February 25. Lindsey hails from Chesapeake, Virginia, but since attending the University of Mary Washington she's fallen in love with Fredericksburg and considers it home.
Last spring, she graduated from UMW with a bachelor's degree in historic preservation and a minor in museum studies. Currently, she is pursuing a master's degree in elementary education at UMW and expects to graduate next spring. Her twin loves of history and education fuel her passion for public programming in a museum setting.
Lindsey has worked with a diverse array of historical organizations including Fort Pitt Museum and Carnegie Museum of Art (both in Pittsburgh, PA); Dahlgren Heritage Museum (Dahlgren, VA); National Museum of African American History and Culture (Washington, DC); and Udvar-Hazy Center of the National Air and Space Museum (Chantilly, VA). Some of her favorite museum experiences have been in Fredericksburg. These include work at the Mary Washington House; Children's Museum of Richmond; Gari Melchers Home and Studio; and as a Bowley Scholar at the James Monroe Museum.
When she’s not in the museum you can spot Lindsey spending too much money at Riverby Books, drinking coffee at Agora, or enjoying the latest art at LibertyTown Arts Workshop. She is excited to be back at the James Monroe Museum and can't wait to help advance its mission of preservation and education. Welcome, Lindsey!
Become a Friend of The James Monroe Museum!
Members of the Friends of The James Monroe Museum help make it possible for us to conserve the artifacts in our collection, create new exhibits for their display, and plan and implement public programming that provides opportunities to share the life and legacy of James Monroe with our community.

View the information about the benefits of membership, and learn how to become a Friend of The James Monroe Museum today!
The James Monroe Museum
908 Charles St.
Fredericksburg, VA 22401
540-654-1043