Cokie Roberts To Speak At The National Archives
Press Release · Thursday, December 2, 2004

Founding Mothers: The Women Who Raised Our Nation

Washington, DC. . . .On Wednesday, December 15 at 7 PM, the National Archives will host a lecture and book signing by political commentator and news analyst Cokie Roberts. Roberts will discuss her new bestselling book Founding Mothers: The Women Who Raised Our Nation, that explores the lives of the women behind the men that wrote the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. This program is free and open to the public, and will take place in the McGowan Theater of the National Archives Building, which is fully accessible. The public entrance is on Constitution Avenue at 9th Street, NW.

While the men went off to war or to Congress, the women managed their businesses, raised their children, provided them with political advice, and made it possible for the men to do what they did. The behind-the-scenes influence of these women— and their sometimes very public activities—was intelligent and pervasive. Drawing upon personal correspondence, private journals, and even favored recipes, Roberts reveals the stories of these women, bringing to life the everyday trials and triumphs of individuals such as Abigail Adams, Mercy Otis Warren, Deborah Read Franklin, Eliza Pinckney, Catherine Littlefield Green, Esther DeBerdt Reed, and Martha Washington.

A political commentator for ABC News, Cokie Roberts has covered Congress, politics and public policy for more than fifteen years. She serves as Senior News Analyst for National Public Radio. Her other publications include: From this Day Forward, an account of marriage in American history (including her own), and We Are Our Mothers’ Daughters a study of women’s roles and relationships throughout the nation’s past.

This lecture is one in a series of public programs, screenings, and events marking the inaugural season of the National Archives’ William G. McGowan Theater. The McGowan Theater serves as one of the nation’s leading centers for documentary film, as well as a prominent forum for the discussion and exploration of great issues of American history, democracy, and government. Updated information is available at www.archives.gov, or by phone at (202) 501-5000.

* * *

For press information, contact the National Archives Public Affairs staff at 202-501-5526.

05-24