John Ragosta: A Loyal Opposition

×

Expand

Charleston Library Society

Event Image Sizing for Web - John Ragosta 2.26.26

John Ragosta

February 26, 2026 @ 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

$10.00 – $15.00

As we dive into our history during a year of SC250, celebrated historian and former Acting Director of the Robert H. Smith International Center for Jefferson Studies at Monticello, John Ragosta, brings new perspectives to Founding Father Patrick Henry. In his latest book, For the People, For the Country: Patrick Henry’s Final Political Battle, Ragosta uncovers the remarkable story of a man whose legacy we thought we knew—revealing the depth, ambition, and drama of his final political struggle. Join us for an evening of insight, history, and fresh perspectives on one of America’s most iconic figures.

If you are unable to attend the event, but would like to purchase one or more copies, please visit Buxton Books!

About the Author

John Ragosta is a fellow at Virginia Humanities, the Faculty Director of the Summer Jefferson Symposium at UVA, and was previously the Acting Director of the Robert H. Smith International Center for Jefferson Studies at Monticello. He has taught law and history at the University of Virginia, George Washington University, and Hamilton, Oberlin, and Randolph Colleges. Dr. Ragosta’s most recent book – For the People, For the Country: Patrick Henry’s Final Political Battle – has received highly favorable reviews in the Wall Street Journal and New York Sun. Ragosta, an award-winning author and frequent commentator, holds both a PhD and a JD from UVA. Before returning to academia, Dr. Ragosta was an international trade partner at Dewey Ballantine LLP. He is also a beekeeper.

About the Book

In 1799, at the behest of President George Washington, Patrick Henry came out of retirement to defend the Constitution that he had once opposed and to thwart Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, whom Washington accused of putting party over country and threatening the fragile union. For the People, For the Country tells the remarkable story of how the most eloquent public speaker of the American Revolutionary era and a leading antifederalist during debates over ratification of the Constitution reemerged on the side of the federalists and once again changed history. Much more than a fire-breathing demagogue, the Patrick Henry we encounter here comes to life as a principled leader of the young nation who believed above all in working with a government elected by the people, advocating for political change in “a constitutional way”—at the ballot box. A gripping narrative, this book will change long-held views of this great Founding Father.