Speaking
Topics
David Stewart is available to speak on the following topics:
- When Aaron Burr Shook the Nation’s Foundation – Between 1805 and 1807, the charismatic Burr organized a western expedition that was part foreign invasion, part domestic insurrection, and all adventure. When it collapsed, Burr was cast into the shadow of the gallows, facing treason charges before Chief Justice John Marshall in the most important trial in our history. A startling story.
- The Summer of 1787 — An overview of why the United States needed a Constitution in the summer of 1787, and the leading figures who molded it.
- Leadership Lessons of the Constitutional Convention — A consideration of the strategies for leadership and persuasion that key delegates employed to build consensus on the need for the Constitution and forge agreement on bitterly contested issues.
- How History Lies — Using vivid examples from the founding of the nation through the bitter Civil War, this talk challenges readers to evaluate the quality of the information conveyed to them and reveals the shaky foundations for some of our favorite historical anecdotes.
- The First Presidential Impeachment and the Legacy of Abraham Lincoln — Examining the toxic political climate that followed the Civil War and nearly removed Andrew Johnson from the presidency in his 1868 trial before the Senate, this talk refutes widespread fallacies about what happened, why, and what it meant.
Testimonials
“David was a wonderful lecturer; humorous, intelligent, informative, and had great speaking ability. His lectures were very well attended and appreciated by the passengers. If we have a chance to have him back, we should.”
—Travel Dynamics executive, following three-lecture series on Chesapeake Bay cruise
“David was a wonderful lecturer; humorous, intelligent, informative, and had great speaking ability. His lectures were very well attended and appreciated by the passengers. If we have a chance to have him back, we should.”
—Travel Dynamics executive, following three-lecture series on Chesapeake Bay cruise
“Your September 23rd talk [on Impeached] was exquisitely wonderful, well-delivered, with a light touch, and down-right brilliant.”
—Rodney Ross, National Archives, Washington, DC
“David Stewart completely mesmerized our audience of diverse business unit leaders with his compelling story of how men of almost polar constituencies came together to create our Constitution. What was extraordinary was how Mr. Stewart tied the lessons of thatSummer of 1787 to the challenges of business today. Afterward, audience members stood in line to talk to him, like they might have for a business guru!”
—Bruce Morrow, President & Chief Creative Officer, M2 Creative, Inc., Atlanta, GA
“[Y]our talk was a complete delight . . . Clear, concise, to the point, your intriguing new slant at understanding convention proceedings, politics, and outcomes drew a large audience and clearly pleased them. . . . Of the thirty surveys collected, 26 gave the highest possible rating . . . Asked what they like best, most simply said, ‘the speaker,’ ‘the lecture,’ and ‘brilliant,’ ‘lively,’ ‘factual.’ Asked what they ‘liked least,’ a couple said ‘wished there had been more time.’”
—Linda Hartman, Gunston Hall, Alexandria, VA
“From the capacity crowd to the pre-program press, the program was a huge success on all levels. We have gotten nothing but positive feedback.”
—Stefan Frank, National Constitution Center, Philadelphia, PA
“Thank you so much for joining me and my Treasury colleagues for lunch on the first day of the release of your book, The Summer of 1787. . . . I enjoyed our thought-provoking discussion. It was wonderful to hear your human perspective of our Founding Fathers.”
—Anna Escobedo Cabral, United States Treasurer, Treasury Executive Institute, Washington, DC
“It was a great pleasure to have you speak at the Association. The Committee thoroughly enjoyed your erudite talk.”
—Francis J. Murphy, The Association of the Bar of the City of New York, New York, NY
Comments on evaluation forms: “Fabulously engaging lecturer! Such a personal approach to history makes it come alive!” . . . ” “Loved his use of humor in the presentation” . . . [A]n outstanding speaker who blended facts and humor into a delightful informative presentation”. . . . “David reminded me how important “story-telling” is — how engaging it is for students”
—American History Teachers’ Collaborative, Urbana, IL
Comments on evaluation forms: “Fantastic session to establish context for comparison and contrasting the history with what is happening today. . . .Excellent presentation – speaker’s ability to apply lesions learned and/or perspectives from early American history to today was thought provoking. Even more impressive was his responses to a myriad of difficult questions. . . Loved it! Glad he drew parallels to today.”
—Brookings Executive Seminar, Perry Hall, MD
Check out David’s talk on “Family of Assassins: The Surratts of Maryland,” at the Virginia Historical Society on October 31, 2013, which was drawn from his novel The Lincoln Deception.