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Vermont Secretary of State’s office hosting free summer speaker series on Vermont history

Montpelier, VT – The Vermont State Archives and Records Administration (VSARA), a division of the Secretary of State’s office, announced today a free summer speaker series to commemorate our nation’s 250th anniversary. VSARA holds records from pre-statehood to the present day that document the rights of citizens, the decisions of government, and the history of the State of Vermont. The speaker series, titled “Those Who Came Before: 250 Years of Vermont History,” will explore the quest for liberty, equality, justice, and acceptance in Vermont. Speakers will use archival records, including those held by VSARA, to tell the stories of individuals, communities, and our nation.

Three monthly talks are planned for July, August and September:

“We Are Finishing the Work of the Revolution:” Redefining the American Revolution’s Legacy in the Civil War, Tyler Alexander, July 22, 2026

Tyler Alexander will examine the ways in which ordinary Vermonters understood the meaning of the American Revolution’s legacy as it pertained to the struggle to restore the Union and abolish slavery during the Civil War period.

Lost Graves: Burials on the Grounds of the Vermont State Hospital, 1891-1913, Vermont Representative Anne Donahue, August 10, 2026

Anne Donahue will explore an aspect of our state’s treatment of persons with mental illness at the turn of the 19th century through an analysis of historical records regarding the remains of patients at the Vermont State Hospital in Waterbury.

Integrating Archives and Archaeology: Recent Studies at the Fort Vengeance Monument Site in Pittsford, VT, Kate Kenny, Historian and Research Supervisor – UVM Consulting Archaeology Program, September 17, 2026

Kate Kenny will share how archival records are used alongside archaeological excavations to create a better picture of the past. Kenny will recount her work as part of the University of Vermont Consulting Archaeology Program’s archaeological survey at the Fort Vengeance Monument Site in Pittsford for the Vermont Agency of Transportation.

All talks are scheduled for 1:30pm – 3:30pm in Room 11 at the Vermont State House, on State Street in Montpelier, VT. Livestream and recording will be available courtesy of ORCA media: https://www.orcamedia.net/series/live-stream-events

Speaker series webpage: https://sos.vermont.gov/vsara/learn/speaker-series

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Vermont Secretary of State’s office hosting free summer speaker series on Vermont history

Montpelier, VT – The Vermont State Archives and Records Administration (VSARA), a division of the Secretary of State’s office, announced today a free summer speaker series to commemorate our nation’s 250th anniversary. VSARA holds records from pre-statehood to the present day that document the rights of citizens, the decisions of government, and the history of the State of Vermont. The speaker series, titled “Those Who Came Before: 250 Years of Vermont History,” will explore the quest for liberty, equality, justice, and acceptance in Vermont. Speakers will use archival records, including those held by VSARA, to tell the stories of individuals, communities, and our nation.

Three monthly talks are planned for July, August and September:

“We Are Finishing the Work of the Revolution:” Redefining the American Revolution’s Legacy in the Civil War, Tyler Alexander, July 22, 2026

Tyler Alexander will examine the ways in which ordinary Vermonters understood the meaning of the American Revolution’s legacy as it pertained to the struggle to restore the Union and abolish slavery during the Civil War period.

Lost Graves: Burials on the Grounds of the Vermont State Hospital, 1891-1913, Vermont Representative Anne Donahue, August 10, 2026

Anne Donahue will explore an aspect of our state’s treatment of persons with mental illness at the turn of the 19th century through an analysis of historical records regarding the remains of patients at the Vermont State Hospital in Waterbury.

Integrating Archives and Archaeology: Recent Studies at the Fort Vengeance Monument Site in Pittsford, VT, Kate Kenny, Historian and Research Supervisor – UVM Consulting Archaeology Program, September 17, 2026

Kate Kenny will share how archival records are used alongside archaeological excavations to create a better picture of the past. Kenny will recount her work as part of the University of Vermont Consulting Archaeology Program’s archaeological survey at the Fort Vengeance Monument Site in Pittsford for the Vermont Agency of Transportation.

All talks are scheduled for 1:30pm – 3:30pm in Room 11 at the Vermont State House, on State Street in Montpelier, VT. Livestream and recording will be available courtesy of ORCA media: https://www.orcamedia.net/series/live-stream-events

Speaker series webpage: https://sos.vermont.gov/vsara/learn/speaker-series