Founding Friends, Founding Foes: Civic Friendship & Coalitions in the Age of John Adams & Thomas Jefferson
Public | Oct 21, 2026 6:30PM - 8:00PM
On Wednesday, October 21, the LBJ Presidential Library will welcome the Adams Presidential Center and Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello to Austin for a Declaration of Independence 250th anniversary headline event, Founding Friends, Founding Foes: Civic Friendship & Coalitions in the Age of John Adams & Thomas Jefferson.
This evening is hosted as part of the LBJ Presidential Library’s series celebrating the special exhibit The American Experiment.
Participants include:
- Kurt Graham, President & CEO, Adams Presidential Center, Quincy, Massachusetts
- Jane Kamensky, President & CEO, Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, Charlottesville, Virginia
- Moderator: Mark Updegrove, Chairman & CEO, LBJ Foundation, Austin, Texas
This free public program draws on Monticello’s successful Founding Friends, Founding Foes Tour, which examines the complicated relationship between second and third U.S. presidents John Adams and Thomas Jefferson— two Founding-era leading figures who were at various times friends, allies, and bitter, partisan rivals. Panelists and audience members will explore the challenges and triumphs of the American Revolution and early United States, revealing how a constitutional democracy was born through disagreement, coalition-building, and a commitment to shared values and finding common cause.
Post-Event Meet-Up
Following the program, guests are invited to Lazarus Brewing Company (1902 East Sixth Street) for a chance to further connect using Monticello’s specially designed Feast of Reason conversation cards.
K-12 Educators Workshop
K-12 educators are also invited to join the Adams Center, LBJ Library, and Monticello education teams from 11:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. for a full-day workshop at the Library that delves deeper into the history and civics content of Founding Friends, Founding Foes. Educators will then join the evening program; please do not register for both. Please click here for more information or to register for the educator workshop.
About The American Experiment exhibit
Through an exceptional partnership with the National Archives and Records Administration and the Briscoe Center for American History, the LBJ Presidential Library will showcase extraordinary original documents that have shaped the course of American history. Across four rotating exhibitions on display May 30 through January 10, visitors will encounter defining moments—from the Brown v. Board of Education decision and the Fourteenth Amendment to the Louisiana Purchase and the Wright Brothers’ Flying Machine Patent.
Documents on display on the evening of October 21st will include Walter Cronkite’s reporter’s notebook from the Tet offensive in February 1968; a letter from Robert E. Lee to Confederate general dated August 1, 1865, offering his opinion on the cause of the defeat at Appomattox Court House in April 1865; and a letter written by George Washington to John Armstrong on August 24, 1769.
The American Experiment initiative pairs these iconic artifacts with dynamic public programs featuring leading historians, authors, and thought leaders. Together, we hope to explore how the American story has unfolded over 250 years—and where it may go next.
Location and parking
The conversation will be hosted in the 10th floor Atrium of the LBJ Presidential Library. Free parking will be available at the LBJ Library visitors’ lot located at 2313 Red River Street.
Registration
Advance registration is requested as space is limited. Please register below: