We have big news! Please read at least this paragraph! For our next meeting on Tuesday, October 13, we will begin to meet at a new venue: the Dining Hall at Marymount University, located at 2807 North Glebe Road, Arlington, VA 22207. This email will have three parts. The first part describes the next meeting’s topic and lecturer. The second part is a short explanation of why the move is being made. And the third part provides detailed instructions on how to park at Marymount University and walk to the Dining Hall to our meeting (for this first meeting, Richard, Gene and/or Doug will meet you in person at the parking lot). This is a significant change for our ARRT; I hope you can try to make it a success by attending the meeting.
Our Next Meeting’s Topic:
“Underlying Causes of the American Revolution,” by Christian McBurney. What led many Americans to want to separate from Great Britain, and some to fight British Army regulars, 250 years ago in 1776? Americans were already among the freest and least taxed people in the Western world. Yes, “no taxation without representation” was a real thing, but there was much more too. This talk is intended to address the underlying causes of the American Revolution by looking at political, social, demographic, racial, and ideological factors. Some of the material is from a course on the American Revolution taught by the lecturer's former professor at Brown University, Gordon Wood, while other material is based on more recent developments.
Christian McBurney is an independent historian who has authored eleven books, six on the American Revolutionary War and five on Rhode Island (four are on both). His books include The Rhode Island Campaign: The First French and American Operation in the Revolutionary War and Dark Voyage: An American Privateer's War on Great Britain's African Slave Trade. His next book is on the famous “Black Regiment” of Rhode Island during the Revolutionary War. Christian is also the founder and publisher of a leading Rhode Island history blog at smallstatebighistory.com and is President of the American Revolution Round Table of Washington, DC. Christian resides with his wife at Kensington, Maryland, and they have a second home in West Kingston, Rhode Island.
Our next meeting at Marymount University is scheduled for Tuesday, November 8. Please keep in mind that generally our meetings for 2027 will be scheduled for the second Tuesday of the months of March through June. For 2027, that would be March 9, April 13, May 11, June 8, September 14, October 12, and November 9. Dates are subject to change due to speaker availability.
Why Our DC ARRT is Moving to Marymount
The officers have voted to move the venue of our meetings to Marymount University. We believe this is the best decision for increasing our ARRT’s membership, which is a primary goal of the officers; our membership has had held steady the last dozen years.
We have had some issues with the Mount Vernon Inn. The main one is the difficulty of driving there around 6 pm on a weekday. The traffic in Alexandria and around it is atrocious. It takes me 1.5 hours to drive from the Bethesda area to Mount Vernon Inn, and 35 to 40 minutes on the return journey. Some potential attendees in Fairfax County or beyond won’t attend our meetings for this reason. In addition, our room is a bit cramped and it can be hard to hear the speaker because the old doors to the room do not keep out the outside noise very well; this is a particular complaint on Zoom calls. Some also would like a cheaper option for dinners. Our ARRT also loses money each meeting because we do not charge the full cost of the meal or room rental (we make up the difference with our annual membership fee). By contrast, Marymount University in Arlington will be easier for most of us to travel to; the Dining Hall at Marymount University will make available inexpensive (subsidized) meals; and we will have a very nice, roomy meeting space. Parking will still be at no cost.
We understand that there are positives to the Mount Vernon Inn as well. For one, it has a lot of cache, meeting at Mount Vernon, the home of George Washington. No other ARRT has that. The Inn has a historical feel too. Some like the meals, which are not overly expensive, and the ability to order alcohol. We understand that for some of our members, driving to Arlington is farther away than Mount Vernon, and for that reason alone may not attend as often. That is a painful reality for us, but we believe that on balance, the move is merited. Most of you know that the Richmond ARRT has a similar arrangement with the University of Richmond.
We are going to give Marymount University a try. We owe that to ourselves. But if it does not work out, we can always return to the Mount Vernon Inn.
Directions to Marymount, Parking, and the Dining Hall
The following are direction for our next meeting, scheduled for Tuesday, October 13, 2026, at Marymount University’s Main Campus, which is located at 2807 North Glebe Road, Arlington, VA 22207.
Two maps are attached to this email to assist your travels to Marymount University: (a) Campus Map and (b) an arrow directional map. We recommend that you print them out and bring them with you to the meeting.
The main campus entrance off North Glebe Road will allow you to make a Right Turn onto the campus. This is followed by another Right Turn after you pass the Security Welcome Gate and into the G-1 Parking Lot. Parking is free.
After you have parked your vehicle, walk to the Gerard Phelan Hall, which is Building # 4 on the campus map. ARRT officers will be present in the G-1 Parking lot to guide you. We will also have ARRT officers to guide you from Gerard Phelan Hall to the entrance of the Dining Hall.
Please arrive by 6:00 PM (or earlier if desired) to leisurely enjoy your dinner in our private room located adjacent to the Dining Hall. You may use your credit card to pay for your food and drink selections. However, there is no obligation to purchase any food or drinks. Also, we are not permitted to purchase or use any alcoholic beverages on campus.
We anticipate that the Speaker will start his presentation at around 6:45 PM. After the presentation, Doug, Gene and Richard will be escorting attendees back to their vehicles. Marymount Campus Security is present 24/7.
Since this ARRT meeting will be a “first” venue change in about twelve years, we are asking for your help. If you plan to attend, please email Richard Rankin (at brandywinecreek@aol.com) or text at 571-436-7846 to let him know that you plan to join us on October 13, 2026. That way he, Doug and Gene will be looking out for your arrival. But there is no longer a need to let me know what your dinner order will be. We hope you can join us for our first meeting at Marymount University. Think about inviting friends and family too!
Thank you,
Christian McBurney
President, American Revolution Round Table of Washington, DC
