When VA250 Honorary Chair Carly Fiorina sought a campus discussion going beyond "convenient legends" to tell "the full story" of our nation's upcoming anniversary, CML and its Director George Oberle were a natural choice as guide and conversation partner.

CML’s contingent at the Fairfax event consisted of three members of the university’s history faculty and four doctoral students representing all phases of the department’s degree program, from year one to dissertation. Hands-on activities made fascinating research and techniques of local history accessible to attendees of all ages.

From the Enlightenment through the Early Republic, real scientific breakthroughs existed alongside dubious or speculative claims. Exploring debates between Federalists and Jeffersonians, Oberle looks at why "critical judgment, not just access, is what creates an informed public."