A Conversation: France and America - Revolutionary Alliance to Modern Partnership
Wednesday, February 4, 2026 |
5:30 PM Panel Discussion
Bullock Texas History Museum
1800 Congress Ave.
Austin, TX 78701
Bullock Texas History Museum
1800 Congress Ave.
Austin, TX 78701
As the United States approaches the 250th anniversary of its founding, the French-American Cultural Foundation invites you to a special evening at the Bullock Texas State History Museum in Austin, reflecting on one of the most consequential partnerships in American history: the alliance between France and the United States.
As the world faces renewed questions about democracy, sovereignty, and international cooperation, the Franco-American partnership offers an instructive case study.
This timely program brings together leading historians and thinkers to explore how the Franco-American alliance – born of revolution – has evolved into a modern partnership that continues to shape democratic ideals, governance, and global cooperation today.
Evening Program
5:00PM – Door Open
We invite you to arrive early and explore the first-floor exhibits of the Bullock Museum. The gallery’s centerpiece is La Belle, the French ship from René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle’s expedition to establish a colony along the Texas coast.
5:30PM – Panel Discussion
Panel of renowned historians and experts will dive into the past, present, and future of the dynamic relationship between France and the United States.
6:30PM – Live Q&A
Following the panel discussion, guests are invited to engage directly with the speakers in a moderated Q&A. This interactive session offers an opportunity to deepen the conversation, pose questions, and explore contemporary perspectives on the evolving Franco-American relationship.
Meet the Expert Panel
Professor H.W. Brands, Author and Jack S. Blanton Sr. Chair in History, University of Texas at Austin
H. W. Brands is a best-selling author, historian, and the Jack S. Blanton Sr. Chair at the University of Texas at Austin. He has written thirty books, including The Zealot and the Emancipator, a dual biography of the abolitionist John Brown and President Abraham Lincoln, as well as The First American and Traitor to His Class, both finalists for the Pulitzer Prize and the Los Angeles Times Prize. In addition to his books, Brands has also written articles and reviews for magazines and newspapers, including the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, the Atlantic Monthly, and the Smithsonian. Brands is frequently seen on PBS, the History Channel, and Ken Burns’ productions.
Dr. Lindsay Chervinsky, Director, George Washington Presidential Library at Mount Vernon
Dr. Lindsay M. Chervinsky is a presidential historian and the Executive Director of the George Washington Presidential Library. She is the author of the award-winning books, The Cabinet: George Washington and the Creation of an American Institution and Making the Presidency: John Adams and the Precedents That Forged the Republic, and co-editor of Mourning the Presidents: Loss and Legacy in American Culture. She regularly writes for public audiences in the Wall Street Journal, The Bulwark, Time Magazine, USA Today, CNN, and the Washington Post.
Dr. Iris de Rode, Author and Fellow, Karsh Institute of Democracy, University of Virginia
Dr. Iris de Rode is a historian of the French role in the American Revolution. In the family château of Major General François-Jean de Chastellux in Burgundy, she uncovered his unpublished papers. Chastellux, a French officer in Rochambeau’s army and close friend of George Washington, became the focus of her PhD (2019) and her book (2022), which received the Prix Guizot of the Académie Française in 2023. She has held more than twenty research fellowships, appears in Ken Burns’s PBS series The American Revolution, advises major museums and digital-heritage projects on both sides of the Atlantic, and is now completing a book on the French in the American Revolution.
Karl Rove, President of the Board of Trustees, Texas State History Museum Foundation
Karl Rove brings decades of experience in public affairs, policy, and civic leadership, having served in senior advisory roles at the highest levels of government. Alongside his leadership at the Bullock Texas State History Museum, he has taught at the University of Texas at Austin and contributed to academic and public discourse through writing and speaking. He remains actively involved with a range of educational, cultural, and nonprofit institutions across Texas, reflecting a long-standing commitment to public service and civic engagement.
As we look toward America’s 250th anniversary, revisiting the origins of the Franco-American alliance is not an exercise in nostalgia. It is an opportunity to better understand how partnerships rooted in shared ideals can continue to shape democratic life, cultural exchange, and global cooperation today.
We invite you to join us in Austin for this timely conversation – one that honors history while looking squarely toward the future.