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A best-selling author series by American Ancestors

Stories of American history, heritage, and culture

As part of our mission to educate, inspire and connect people to their family history, the American Inspiration Author Series explores themes of personal identity, families, immigration, and social and cultural history. Discover inspiring and thought-provoking stories of American families and the complex history which has shaped this country.

Brought to you by

The Brue Family Learning Center

American Inspiration: A best-selling author series by American Ancestors

Our Partners

American Inspiration Author Series partners with a variety of influential Boston institutions for many of our events, including Boston Public Library, GBH Forum Network, Museum of African American HistoryPorter Square Books, and the State Library of Massachusetts.

Porter Square Books, Boston Public Library, GBH, Museum of African American History, State Library of Massachusetts

Upcoming Events

Author Event
Online
Free

Neil King with American Ramble: A Walk of Memory and Renewal

Neil King Jr.’s desire to walk from Washington, D.C., to New York City began as a whim and soon became an obsession. Over an extraordinary 26 days, he journeyed through historic battlefields and cemeteries, over the Mason-Dixon line, past Quaker and Amish farms, along Valley Forge stream beds, atop a New Jersey trash mound, across New York Harbor, and finally, to his ultimate destination: the Ramble, where a tangle of pathways converges in New York’s Central Park.

December 12, 2023

American Inspiration

Author Event
Online
Free

Benjamin Taylor with Chasing Bright Medusas: A Life of Willa Cather

Celebrating one of America’s greatest female novelists, this tender biography brings to life Willa Cather -- her artistry and endurance, her immigrant family and the prairies on they lived, and her trailblazing success as a journalist and writer.

Moderated by Mary Beth Norton
January 9, 2024

American Inspiration

Author Event
Online
Free

Rachel L. Swarns with The 272: The Families Who Were Enslaved and Sold to Build the Catholic Church

In this groundbreaking account, journalist, author, and professor Rachel L. Swarns follows one family through nearly two centuries of indentured servitude and enslavement to uncover the harrowing origin story of the Catholic Church in the United States. Through the saga of the Mahoney family, she demonstrates how slavery fueled the growth of the American Catholic Church and shines a light on the enslaved people whose forced labor helped to build the largest denomination in the nation.

Moderated by Stephanie McCurry
January 30, 2024

American Inspiration

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Photo Gallery

Enjoy a selection of photos from past in-person American Inspiration events.

Recent Past Events

Visit our Video Library to watch all past American Inspiration Author Series events