John Monsky - Historian

John Monsky is the creator, writer, and narrator of the American History Unbound series. His reverence for historical ephemera is at the core of his productions, with his meticulous research of flags and other tangible objects driving his narratives that explore landmark events in our history. His productions at Carnegie Hall, Boston’s Symphony Hall, The Kennedy Center, Miami’s New World Center, New Orleans’ Orpheum Theater and the Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts have included The Vietnam War: At Home and Abroad, We Chose to Go to the Moon, The Eyes of the World: From D-Day to VE Day, and American Heart in WWI: A Carnegie Hall Tribute, (formerly The Great War & The Great Gatsby). In December 2024, Monsky was asked to bring his acclaimed performance of The Eyes of the World to the White House for a special performance for the President and veterans. A performance of The Eyes of the World with the Boston Pops is currently streaming via PBS Passport. American Heart was filmed at Carnegie Hall in 2025 by the Academy Award-winning RadicalMedia (Summer of Soul), directed for the stage by Tony-winner Michael Mayer (Spring Awakening), and is also streaming via PBS Passport. 

Monsky, who recently was profiled on CBS News' Sunday Morning, has also appeared on CNN, C-SPAN, ABC and NBC and is on the board of directors of The Rockefeller University, Yale University Art Gallery and The New York Historical. He has workshopped many of his productions at The New York Historical, which has been an intellectual partner in the creation of his works. The flag collection—which he began in his boyhood—is nationally recognized and has been featured in The New Yorker and Art & Antiques Magazine. His article about George Washington, “Finding America in Its First Political Textile” was published in the Winterthur Portfolio. To learn more about the flag collection and other Material Culture, click here. 

Monsky graduated from Yale College as a history major, where he was awarded the White Prize in History and the Deforest Oratory Prize. After attending Harvard Law School and working as a law clerk, he served as an attorney for the U.S. Senate Congressional Committee that investigated the Iran-Contra affair. An historian and lawyer, Monsky is a senior partner of Oak Hill Capital, an investment firm. He lives in New York City with his wife, Jennifer Weis. They have four children.