Presentation on Enslaved Family at Montpelier at meeting
February 13, 2016
Middle Peninsula African-American Genealogical and Historical Society (MPAAGHS) will hold its monthly meeting on Saturday, February 13, 2016, at 11:00 a.m. at Essex Public Library, 117 North Church Lane (Rt. 17), Tappahannock, Virginia (map). Michelle Taylor, a 2015 graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), will discuss her ancestral ties to Montpelier, the home of President James Madison. She will talk about the genealogical and archaeological work that led her to discover that members of her family were enslaved at Montpelier.
Ms. Taylor will present three-dimensional replicas of artifacts excavated from Montpelier and will discuss her post-graduate research under the auspices of Dr. Bernard K. Means. Dr. Means is a professor of archaeology and the director of the Virtual Curation Laboratory at VCU. The Virtual Curation Laboratory has created an extensive virtual catalog of artifacts from historical sites such as Mount Vernon, Jamestown, Poplar Forest, Montpelier, Colonial Williamsburg, and George Washington’s Ferry Farm. Along with her continuous research on the enslaved families of Montpelier, Ms. Taylor works at the VCU Libraries’ new center, called The Workshop. She specializes in academic outreach that promotes hands-on technology for all ages.
The public is cordially invited to attend the meeting. For further information about this meeting or about (MPAAGHS), visit mpaagenealogicalsociety.org or call 804.651.8753.