The Old World with Will Tanner
Episodes
Light-Horse Harry & Robert E. Lee: The Lees of Leesylvania
This episode explores the Leesylvania branch of the Virginia Lee family, contrasting their quieter, duty-bound legacy with the more famous Stratford Hall line.
The Virginia Gentry's Cursus Honorum: How to Build a Virtuous Aristocracy
Will Tanner and guest Gregory Treat analyze the Virginia Gentry’s *cursus honorum*, a meritocratic system that cultivated virtuous leadership through local service and estate management.
The Virginia Gentry: How America's Only Aristocracy Formed in Old Virginia
Host Will Tanner explores the reality of the Virginia Gentry, contrasting their mythic aristocratic image with their origins as ambitious merchants.
Forgotten Founding Father: Francis Lightfoot Lee, the Duty-Bound Virginia Gentleman
This episode profiles Francis Lightfoot Lee, a quiet but pivotal Founding Father who served as a key committee member in the Continental Congress.
The Merchant Diplomat: William Lee's Secret Dutch Treaty and the Victory at Yorktown
This episode chronicles the life of William Lee, a Virginia patriot who became the only American elected as an Alderman of London.