“Stories of the Washington Elm” in Cambridge, 14 Mar.

Last month the Bonhams auction house sold this fragment of the Washington Elm, about 3" by 6" across, for $4,864.

That was considerably above the estimate. Even though this is far from a unique specimen of that tree, and the auction house undercut the story its label tells by saying:

Today, most historians agree that there was likely never a grand ceremony beneath the elm to install Washington as leader, though he did arrive in Cambridge on July 2, 1775, and seems to have spent the 3rd inspecting and introducing himself to smaller groups of troops.

That sale offers another example of how our culture has imbued this elm with deep meaning. The stories Americans have told, and not told, about that tree reflect our changing values and understandings of the past.

For a much lower price—in fact, for free—you can come hear me speak about “The Stories of the Washington Elm” at the Longfellow House–Washington’s Headquarters National Historic Site in Cambridge on Thursday, 14 March. That is this year’s Evacuation Day Lecture, sponsored by the Friends of Longfellow House–Washington’s Headquarters and the Massachusetts Society of the Cincinnati.

Our event description says:

Cambridge Common has multiple monuments to the “Washington Elm,” a tree held up (eventually by steel rods) as a symbol of American patriotism. Henry W. Longfellow is said to have composed the text on one of those markers: “Under this tree WASHINGTON first took command of the American Army, July 3, 1775.” After the elm finally collapsed in 1923, more skeptical researchers concluded that its fame was based on little more than legend. In this talk, J. L. Bell digs into how the Washington Elm came to be celebrated, what its story says about the national memory of the Revolution, and why we really should remember this tree.

This talk is scheduled to start at 6:00 P.M. on Thursday, 14 March. The neighborhood has limited parking, though it does open up in the evenings.

This venue also has limited seating. There is no plan to livestream the talk though we might record it to post online later. Register for a seat through this site.