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"The Mount Vernon Ladies' Association collected and preserved the material culture at Mount Vernon, before the archive further evolved in response to what I am calling 'counter archival movements' among groups such as African American communities in places like Gum Springs," Oberle said.

"The Judicial Learning Center of Fairfax County is the first JLC at any state trial court in the entire country. It supports the Court Tour Program and highlights court cases from Fairfax County that have assisted in charting a course toward a more just society," said Clerk of Court Chris Falcon.

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."

Speakers, objects and hands-on activities will fill multiple rooms in the Fairfax County Government Center, Saturday, April 18, 2026, for an all-day history event exploring Fairfax County's experience of the American Revolution. Tied to the nation's 250th birthday, the program includes talks by three George Mason University history professors with ties to the Center for Mason Legacies as well as several CML graduate students.