John S. Mason Jr., a direct descendant of founding father George Mason, was the guest speaker at the April 11 meeting of the Richard Henry Lee Chapter, Virginia Society, Sons of the American Revolution at Historic Christ Church. His talk, “How the Americas Won Independence with Help from an Empire,” addressed Latin America’s secession from a European empire, and how their wars for independence parallel those of our country’s fight for independence. Here, RHLC president Michael Rhodes, at left, presents a book to the guest speaker.