Commander in Chief
Appointed to lead the Continental Army — an outmatched force facing the world's foremost empire.
America's Founders Series
Ask the Founders Anything
For the first time, speak — out loud — with the men who founded a nation.
George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and John Hancock — every founder, live, each drawn from their own letters, speeches, and writings.
Now live
The Founding Fathers, brought to life
George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and John Hancock — speak with any of them, out loud, each drawn from their own letters, speeches, and writings.
Meet all four foundersSunday · August 2, 2026
Chat with the Founding Fathers
Join us at History Fort Lauderdale to mark America's 250th and the signing of the Declaration — speak, out loud, with George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and John Hancock, each brought to life from their own words.
Sunday, August 2, 202611:00 AM – 2:00 PM EST
History Fort Lauderdale231 SW 2nd AvenueFort Lauderdale, Florida 33301
Countdown to the celebration
Free & open to all
Reserve your place
Admission is free — reserve a ticket so we can welcome you. Bring the family; it's a conversation with history.RSVP on Eventbrite
The Mother of Fort Lauderdale
Meet Ivy Stranahan
Fort Lauderdale's first schoolteacher. Champion of the Seminole. Suffragist and lifelong builder of community.
She came to the New River frontier in 1899 to teach, championed education and the vote for women, and spent her life advocating for her Seminole neighbors — earning her the name the Mother of Fort Lauderdale.
1stSchoolteacher of Fort Lauderdale
1899Came to the New River
0 yrsA life devoted to her community
A Nation Two and a Half Centuries Young
250
Two hundred and fifty years of independence1776 — 2026
The Story
From a Revolution
to a Republic
Scroll to journey through →
Independence Declared
Thirteen colonies proclaim themselves free. The improbable experiment in self-government begins.
Victory at Yorktown
The decisive siege that secured American independence and ended the Revolutionary War.
The Constitution
He presides over the Constitutional Convention as a new framework for the Republic is drafted.
First President
Sworn in as the first President of the United States, defining the office for every leader to follow.
The Farewell Address
He warns of faction and division, and voluntarily relinquishes power — a gift to the young nation.
250 Years On
For the first time, you can speak with him — drawn from his own letters, speeches, and writings.
About the Project
History you can speak with
The America's Founders Series is an educational initiative created to help people engage with the individuals who shaped the United States — beginning with George Washington and Ivy Stranahan, in celebration of America's 250th anniversary.
From his own words
Built from his real letters, speeches, diaries, and the public historical record — grounded in history, not invention.
A living conversation
Speak with him out loud and hear him answer — history you talk with, not merely read about.
For every generation
Made for students, families, and educators to meet the founders face to face.
Where we've been
Live, in the room, with history
George Washington and Ivy Stranahan have already met hundreds of visitors face to face. Watch the moments below — and follow along for what's next.
June 28, 2026
History Fort Lauderdale
The debut — our first interactive AI George Washington exhibit, drawn from his own words.
July 4, 2026
Museum of Miami
A packed house for America's 250th — George Washington and Ivy Stranahan, live, all day.