Storytelling and American Democracy
Non-Member $20 | Member $15
Pursuits of Knowledge
Karin Wulf on “Lineage: Genealogy and the Power of Connection in Early America”
- Complimentary parking
Join Monticello in conversation with Karin Wulf on her latest book, Lineage: Genealogy and the Power of Connection in Early America for Women’s History Month.
- Non-Members $20
- Members $15
Event Details
- Location: Monticello's Howard and Abby Milstein Theater at Monticello's David M. Rubenstein Visitor Center
- Seating opens at 5:30pm and the program begins promptly at 6pm
- Meet the author and book signing available after the program
- Complimentary parking is available at the visitor center
- The Museum Shop will be open before and after the program - merchandise, snacks, and beverages will be available for purchase
Lineage: Genealogy and the Power of Connection in Early America by Karin Wulf
About the Book
In eighteenth-century America, genealogy was more than a simple record of family ties--it was a powerful force that shaped society. Lineage delves into an era where individuals, families, and institutions meticulously documented their connections. Whether driven by personal passion or mandated by churches, local governments, and courts, these records appeared in diverse forms-from handwritten notes and account books to intricate silk threads and enduring stone carvings.
Family connections wielded significant influence across governmental, legal, religious, cultural, and social spheres. In the American context, these ties also defined the boundaries of slavery and freedom, with a child's status often determined by their mother, despite the prevailing patriarchy. This book reveals the profound importance of genealogy that was chronicled by family records, cultural artifacts, and court documents. These materials, created by both enslaved individuals seeking freedom and founding fathers seeking status, demonstrate the culturally and historically specific nature of genealogical interest.
Even as the American Revolution transformed society, the significance of genealogy endured. The legacy of lineage from the colonial period continued to shape the early United States, underscoring the enduring importance of family connections. Lineage offers a deep understanding of genealogy as a foundational element of American history, illuminating its vital role from the colonial era through the birth of the nation.
About the Author
Karin Wulf is the Beatrice and Julio Mario Santo Domingo Director and Librarian at the John Carter Brown Library and Professor of History at Brown University. A historian of early America, what she refers to as “Vast Early America,” from 2013 to 2021 she was the Executive Director of the Omohundro Institute of Early American History & Culture and Professor of History at William & Mary. Wulf earned her PhD in history from Johns Hopkins University. She writes for public and academic audiences about early American history, the worlds of scholarship and scholarly publishing, and why footnotes can save democracy (really). The author or editor of prize-winning scholarship on gender, family, and politics, her new book Lineage: Genealogy and the Power of Connection in Early America was published by Oxford University Press in 2025. She has served on a variety of non-profit boards; her current board memberships include the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, Inc., Johns Hopkins University Press, and the National Humanities Alliance, she is a co-founder of Women Also Know History and a Vice-President of the American Historical Association. Her current research projects include writing a volume on Genealogy for Oxford University Press’s “Very Short Introduction” series, and a book about Esther Forbes, the author of Johnny Tremain.
About the Moderator
Auriana Woods is a historian of 19th century African American life and the Director of Getting Word, the African American history department at Monticello. While her work spans Black American history from slavery to freedom, her focus is on fugitive kinship practices, family separation, and the forced migration of enslaved people from the Upper South to the Lower South and westward between 1800-1865. Woods is a graduate of Columbia University’s Oral History M.A. Program and Brown University.
Monticello gratefully acknowledges the partnership of More Perfect in our 250th anniversary initiatives.
