What a wonderful time I had speaking at the American Revolution Roundtable (AART) of Northern Delaware at the Hale-Byrnes House in Newark, Delaware, on July 12. Kim Burdick, Resident Site Manager at the Hale-Byrnes House, who organizes the speakers for the AART, and the rest of the members could not have been any nicer. And the Hale-Byrnes House, part of the Washington-Rochambeau National Historic Trail, is an important and beautifully preserved site at a very scenic location. On September 6, 1777, Washington held a war council with generals Nathaniel Greene, Henry Knox, and the Marquis de Lafayette, and other officers, to plan the defense of Philadelphia.
I was pleased to speak to the American Revolution Roundtable of Southern New Jersey on September 10 in an interview/podcast format, hosted by Michael Troy, the host of the American Revolution Podcast https://blog.amrevpodcast.com/. He asked some great questions, and you can hear our podcast session here: American Revolution Podcast with Sheilah Vance.
On October 7, it was great to speak online to the American Revolution Roundtable of New York. The participants had wonderful questions and comments. You can read a comprehensive article about my presentation in the Roundtable’s December 2025 issue at http://www.arrt-ny.org.
I totally enjoyed speaking to the Pennsylvania Sons of the Revolution on November 3 at Gen. Anthony Wayne’s Historic home, Waynesborough, in my old neighborhood in Paoli, PA. Thank you to Michael Whalen, President; Dean Henry, member; and the Sons and Daughters of the American Revolution members for everything. The standing room only crowd was an interested and interesting group that asked great questions and gave me a very warm welcome. Look for a link to my talk on to their YouTube channel soon!
We didn’t get any photos due to technical issues, but I was so happy to be able to speak on Veteran’s Day, November 11, to the American Revolution Roundtable of which I am a member—the George Washington American Revolution Roundtable of the District of Columbia. We had a full room for dinner and my talk at the Mount Vernon Inn Restaurant, at Historic Mount Vernon, Virginia. It was a pleasure to meet several members who are also authors and to hear about their books.
The Pennsylvania Society of Sons of the Revolution, led by President Michael Whalen, held a wonderful Gulph Mills Monument Rededication Ceremony on 12/16 back at the base of Rebel Hill, closer to where the the Sons placed the monument originally, by the Old Gulph Mill, in 1892. I was honored to speak for a few minutes about the importance of the Gulph Mills Encampment of 12/13 – 19, 1777–The Threshold to Valley Forge. We were joined by representatives of Valley Forge Natl. Park, Sunoco (which owns the land on which the monument was placed), the Upper Merion Twp. Historical Commission; the King of Prussia, Radnor, and Lower Merion Historical Societies; Upper Merion Area School District, Radnor Memorial Library, and Valley Forge Park Alliance.
We had a great day at the Radnor Memorial Library at my talk cosponsored by the Radnor Historical Society on February 7. While it was subfreezing outside, it was so warm inside with many interesting questions and engaging and thoughtful discussion. Many thanks to Pam Sedor, Director of Programs at the Library, and Jennifer Beacom, of the Radnor Historical Society, (both in the video below) who helped me obtain images for my book, for all of the support that they and their organizations provided. Old friends and new friends came out in full force.
Video of Pam Sedor, Radnor Memorial Library, and Jennifer Beacom, Radnor Historical Society, with Vance.
Had a great time with about 100 people on March 28 at the Lehigh Valley Heritage Museum in a talk sponsored by Lehigh Valley Historical Society. Director Jim Higgins and Asst. Director Jill Youngken couldn’t have been nicer and more interested. After, Jim & his lovely wife hosted me for a wonderful dinner in downtown Allentown and a tour of the beautiful Lehigh Valley. I shall return!
Threshold to Valley Forge is my fifth book. (See my Author Page on Amazon or at www.sheilahvance.com.) I was pleased to present all of my books on March 21 at the Literary Lounge at the Black Family Wellness Expo sponsored by the Annapolis Chapter of the Links, Inc. I talk about all of my books on the video below.
I had a great time a great time on April 25 with former Philadelphia City Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown at the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Philadelphia Chapter’s Madam CJ Walker Luncheon. Blondell and I have been friends for over 40 years, and I wrote the Foreword for her inspirational memoir, Walking a Tightrope Backwards In Heels. It was so nice to be around old friends, as a former member of the Coalition, and to meet some new ones.
What an honor it was to speak on April 26 at the Annual Meeting of the Harriton House Association. Harriton figures prominently in the Battle of Matson’s Ford on December 11, 1777, and as the home of Charles Thomson, Secretary to the Continental Congress. So much important history in one place.
I was thrilled to speak to a sold out crowd at the Valley Forge Park Alliance Lunch and Learn at the Tredyffrin Township Library on June 3.. Molly Duffy, VPFA president, and her colleagues gave me a very warm welcome. So did the attendees. One woman said that my talk was the best one she ever attended, and that she attended many because she was also a historical interpreter of Martha Washington as well as a young sailor. I made several new friends, and I enjoyed my old friends who attended as well, including a high school classmate.
As someone who grew up in Montgomery County, it was fun to speak on June 6 at the Montgomery County – Norristown Public Library (even though Norristown High was the mortal rival to Upper Merion High, which I attended) at their USA250th Celebration. Mary Ann Odete and her colleagues pulled off a full day of America 250 events for all ages. There was a historical interpreter, a library teen cooking club making colonial Johnny Cakes, and various hands on crafting for all ages all day long. I closed out the day with my talk.
I had the honor to share the stage with two amazing women/authors at the event, Same Ground: The President’s House, Valley Forge, and Whose Story Gets Told, on July 6 as one of Philadelphia’s last America250 Independence Holiday events. Dr. Cheryl LaRoche talked about her work as a historical archeologist who helped excavate and discover the stories of the nine African Americans, who were enslaved by President George Washington and lived at the President’s House during his presidency in Philadelphia, and the effort to preserve the truth of their stories. My friend and former five-term Philadelphia Councilperson Blondell Reynolds Brown talked about her contributions to Philadelphia’s democracy and how she made them, as well as her book, Walking a Tightrope Backwards in High Heels, which is part memoir and part political roadmap. I talked about those Patriots of African descent who fought in the Revolutionary War. It was an informative and illuminating event.
I was so honored to speak on September 18, 2026 at the annual meeting of the Aaron Burr Association, which is composed of Burr descendants and scholars. It was a particular pleasure to have my dinner talk at Savona Restaurant, which, in 1778, was the site of the Gulph Mills Picket Post, which Burr commanded for a time during the Valley Forge Encampment. My talk was Leadership at the Threshold: Gulph Mills and Aaron Burr. The Association honored its 30 years president, Stuart Johnson, who I met when he came to my book launch talk in March 2025 at the Society of Cincinnati, American Revolution Institute. He was so gracious then and at the dinner, as was Deborah Smith, Vice President (who, with her brother Gordon, are the only living direct Burr descendants), and Ruth Balchunius, current president. It was a special pleasure that my brother, Robert, came out to join me. Growing up, the restaurant, then called The Picket Post, was some place that no one in my neighborhood ever went to, even though it was at the bottom of our hill, Rebel Hill. Thank God that times have changed.
