America's Founding Monsters

Did you know that George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin were fascinated by fossils? Before dinosaurs captured the public imagination, America's founding fathers collected mysterious bones they believed belonged to a fierce meat-eating creature. They called it the American incognitum. It wasn't until more complete remains were discovered and studied that people realized these fossils actually came from a mastodon—an ancient relative of elephants that ate plants, not meat. Join Dr. Bernard K. Means from Virginia Commonwealth University's Virtual Curation Lab for an engaging talk about why the founding fathers were so captivated by these ancient creatures. Dr. Means will also share a comic book he created with artist Maggie Colangelo called "Founding Monsters," which brings this fascinating piece of American history to life. This program welcomes adults and teens (grades 6–12) interested in history and natural science. For questions, contact the Teen Services Programming Librarian at asullivan@henricolibrary.org or (804) 501-1900 ext. 2260.