Resource person: Audra Bullard - office@clehighlands.com

Description:

Hyper-partisanship in the 1790s drove the still-new United States to the brink of Civil War. Thomas Jefferson warned that the Federalists’ Sedition Act initiated a “reign of witches” and asked states to “nullify” federal laws. Shocked by the possibilities of state-federal conflict and the possibility of secession, George Washington begged Patrick Henry to come out of retirement to oppose Jefferson’s radical states’ rights agenda. Henry, the great anti-federalist who had opposed ratification of the Constitution as creating a government too powerful and distant from the people, entered his final political campaign to defend the young nation and the Constitution that he had opposed. In the process, Henry explained the role of a “loyal opposition,” offering a lesson for our time. This story — recounted in Dr. Ragosta’s book, For the People, For the Country: Patrick Henry’s Final Political Battle — is the story about how a democracy must work if it is to survive.

John Ragosta, a fellow at Virginia Humanities, was previously the acting director of the Robert H. Smith International Center for Jefferson Studies at Monticello. He has taught law and history at the University of Virginia, George Washington University, and Hamilton, Oberlin, and Randolph Colleges. Dr. Ragosta’s most recent book – For the People, For the Country: Patrick Henry’s Final Political Battle – was released in late 2023 by the University of Virginia Press. He is also the author of Religious Freedom: Jefferson’s Legacy, America’s Creed (UVA Press, 2013), Wellspring of Liberty (Oxford 2010), and other works. An award-winning author and frequent commentator, Ragosta holds both a PhD and a JD from the University of Virginia. Before returning to academia, Dr. Ragosta was a partner at Dewey Ballantine LLP. He is also a beekeeper.

Notes: Cancellation Policy Please let us know immediately if you are unable to attend a class. There is no refund for cancellations within two (2) weeks prior to a scheduled class. Programs that include food, beverage or art materials must be canceled within three (3) weeks prior to receive a refund. CLE reserves the right to cancel a program if the minimum enrollment has not been met or for circumstances beyond our control, and participants will be notified, a complete refund will be issued. All classes are held in the CLE Lecture Hall at the Peggy Crosby Center unless otherwise noted. In the event information has changed from the published brochure, it will be posted on our website and in our e-blasts. Addresses for “private home” venues will be provided to registrants within 2 days of the program date.

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