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As the British occupied cities from Boston to Philadelphia and Savannah during the American Revolution, how did the dynamics of the household become a crucial zone of conflict and transformation? Join us for a conversation with Lauren Duval, Gibson Fellow at the Karsh Institute of Democracy, about her book The Home Front: Revolutionary Households, Military Occupation, and the Making of American Independence. Duval shows how the experiences of occupation in the household shaped the political culture in the new nation around the nature of property and authority, particularly in defining the terms of citizenship. This conversation is moderated by Jane Kamensky, president and CEO of Monticello and the Thomas Jefferson Foundation, and author of A Revolution in Color (2016) and co-editor of the Oxford Handbook of the American Revolution. 

A limited number of lunches will be available on a first-come, first-served basis beginning at 11:30 AM. Duval's book will be available for purchase. Parking is not available at Bond House. If you plan to drive, there is paid parking within walking distance at the Oakhurst Inn and Central Grounds Garage. For additional handicap accessible parking spots, consult the UVA accessibility map.

The Nau Lab's “Touchstones of Democracy” series explores key events, places, thinkers, and texts that inform the history and principles of democracy. Leading up to the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Declaration of Independence in July 2026, this event series is showcasing recent books that expand and deepen our understanding of the era of the American Revolution—and illuminate the connections of that period to the present.

The spring 2026 conversations are produced at the University of Virginia by the Karsh Institute of Democracy and the College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences.

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