This year marks the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. As part of VA250, Poplar Forest will host a conversation on the legacy of Thomas Jefferson and the Declaration of Independence. Local students and guest moderators have been invited to participate in a panel discussion based on the results of personal research projects. Join us for a multigenerational program featuring lauded historians and authors, Dr. John Ragosta and Dr. Frank Cogliano, as we discuss the lasting impact of America’s founding document.

Dr. John Ragosta is a historian, lawyer, and beekeeper living in Charlottesville, Virginia. His most recent book, For the People, For the Country: Patrick Henry’s Final Political Battle, was released by the University of Virginia Press in 2023. A fellow at Virginia Humanities, Ragosta is former historian at the Robert H. Smith International Center for Jefferson Studies (ICJS) at Monticello where he also served successfully as interim director of the Center.

Dr. Frank Cogliano is a specialist in the history of the American Revolution and the early United States. He is the author or editor of twelve books including, Thomas Jefferson Survives: American Independence in His Time and Ours (with Peter S. Onuf) which will be published in 2026.  Dr. Frank Cogliano is Professor of American History at the University of Edinburgh.