The Articles of Conversation: John Banister’s Correspondence with the Founding Fathers

Thank you to everyone who attended the first lecture in Battersea’s Winter Lecture series, The Articles of Conversation. This talk focused on the relationships that Battersea’s first owner, Colonel John Banister, held with some of the nation’s most influential founding figures in the 18th century.

The first half of this video features a presentation given by the Foundation’s President, Mr. Sandy Graham, and our Historical Researcher Mr. Davis Simmons (read below).

Attached below is a PowerPoint presentation used as a guide throughout the lecture as well as the full versions of John Banister’s letters. This includes extra context to the correspondence being discussed, and will be helpful for following along.

Download the PowerPoint Presentation Guide here.

Download the full versions of featured letters here.

About Davis Simmons

Davis joined the Battersea Foundation in 2023 and has since conducted extensive primary source research to understand more about Colonel John Banister, his family, and life at Battersea. In May 2021, he received his Bachelor of Arts in History from Longwood University in Farmville, Virginia. He earned a certificate in public history from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia, in May 2022. Today, he is an American Historian specializing in the Colonial and Revolutionary periods. He currently works at the Battersea Foundation as a historical researcher and speaker. This past winter, Davis completed his thesis titled, The Proprietor of Battersea: The Life and Legacy of American Founder John Banister (1734-1788). Read here: https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=9397&context=etd

Davis C. Simmons