Upcoming Events

“Historical Women of the Eastern Shore”
with Kathy Marconi
Tuesday, March 24 at 1:00pm at the Talbot County Free Library

In celebration of Women’s History Month, the Talbot Historical Society presents “Historical Women of the Eastern Shore” with Kathy Marconi. Most history books on Maryland’s eastern shore talk about the men who have shaped our communities. But many women also influenced the shore’s growth and development. This talk will cover some of these women’s life stories and accomplishments. For example, how much do you know about Anna Ella Carroll, a Civil War strategist for the Union? Or Clara Gumby, who lived at the same time in Salisbury and was a spy for the Confederates? As history buffs here know, in Talbot County, Mary Barlett Dixon and Elizabeth Wright Bartlett Dixon were moving forces behind the establishment of the Easton Hospital. In the early 1800s, the first female preacher of the A.M.E. (African Methodist Episcopal) Church spoke throughout the eastern shore. From the 1600s to the end of the 20th century, their accomplishments, along with those of other women, are astounding. Bring your own stories to this discussion of Historic Women of the Eastern Shore.
Kathy Marconi, PhD, MS, holds a doctorate in sociology and a master’s in health information management. Her career spanned local, state, national, and international public health, including the Pennsylvania Health Department and the US Departments of State and Health and Human Services. In federal service she worked on White House projects under Presidents Clinton and George W. Bush. Her work focused on evaluating chronic disease and HIV/AIDS programs. She taught at the University of Maryland Baltimore Graduate School and University of Maryland University College. A regular teacher at Chesapeake Forum, she and Mary Jordan developed a class on Historic Women of the Eastern Shore. Now retired, she lives in Oxford, Maryland, with her husband and has published extensively on health.
This is presented by the Talbot Historical Society in partnership with the Talbot County Free Library and will take place at the library located at 100 W. Dover St., Easton, MD 21601.
The lecture will be presented on March 24, 2026 at 1:00pm at the Talbot County Free Library
The lecture is free to the public, please plan to arrive early, as seating is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Talbot Historical Society office/research/exhibit hours are: Wednesday through Saturday 10am-3pm

Thy Will Be Done: George Washington’s Legacy of Slavery and the Fight for American Memory
with John Marks
Tuesday, April 21 at 1:00pm at the Talbot County Free Library
How should we remember George Washington’s involvement in slavery? Americans have argued over that question for nearly 250 years. More than any other “Founding Father,” Washington’s ties to slavery have vexed us. He enslaved more people than any of his fellow Founders, yet he was the only one of them to emancipate the people he held in bondage. Since his death, Americans have grappled with this contradiction, shaping and re-shaping our collective memory of Washington and slavery—along with our understanding of the nation. In this talk, historian and writer John Garrison Marks will draw on his book Thy Will Be Done: George Washington’s Legacy of Slavery and the Fight for American Memory to tell the story of how politicians, abolitionists, educators, activists, Washington’s former slaves and their descendants, and others have remembered, forgotten, and manipulated slavery’s place in Washington’s story over the past 250 years. Marks’s work reveals how generational struggles over our collective memory of Washington and slavery have always been part of a bigger conversation about defining America and its people—and continue to shape the nation’s public discourse.
Link to the book here: https://uncpress.org/9781469693521/thy-will-be-done/
John Garrison Marks is a historian and writer whose work has appeared in TIME, Washington Post, and Smithsonian Magazine. Previously the author of Black Freedom in the Age of Slavery, he earned his Ph.D. from Rice University. He currently serves as the Vice President of Research and Engagement with the American Association for State and Local History. 
This is presented by the Talbot Historical Society in partnership with the Talbot County Free Library and will take place at the library located at 100 W. Dover St., Easton, MD 21601.
The lecture will be presented on April 21, 2026 at 1:00pm at the Talbot County Free Library. The lecture is free to the public, seating is limited, so arriving early will help ensure a seat.
Talbot Historical Society office/research/exhibit hours are:
Wednesday through Saturday 10am-3pm