The Civil War: Fresh Perspectives Symposium to Be Held November 20, 2010

I was asked to pass along some news from this interesting new symposium to be held at the William G. McGowan Theater in Washington, D.C.  Registration is $50, and the event will be held on November 20, 2010:

The Civil War: Fresh Perspectives Symposium

Saturday, November 20, 2010, 9 a.m.–5:30 p.m. at the Washington DC Archives, William G. McGowan Theater
Registration required: Register online or by phone at 877-444-6777, Registration fee: $50.

The Civil War: Fresh Perspectives is a daylong symposium featuring three panel discussions related to themes in the exhibit, Discovering the Civil War. The symposium is presented in partnership with the Foundation for the National Archives, the University of Richmond, the Lincoln Group of the District of Columbia, and the Civil War Roundtable of the District of Columbia. Opening remarks will be made by David S. Ferriero, Archivist of the United States. Keynote remarks will be made by Edward Ayers, president of the University of Richmond.

Panel 1: The Home Front
How did the Civil War impact everyday life in both the Union and the Confederacy, and how did people confront the challenges of living in a nation at war? Gary W. Gallagher of University of Virginia moderates a panel including J. Matthew Gallman, University of Florida; Thavolia Glymph, Duke University;James Marten, Marquette University; and Amy Murrell Taylor, University of Albany, SUNY.

Panel 2: A Global War: International Implications
While Union and Confederate troops battled on American soil, a global diplomatic battle also ensued with negotiations and naval conflicts. Edward Ayers, president of the University of Richmond, will moderate. Panelists include Richard J. M. Blackett, Vanderbilt University; Howard Jones, University of Alabama; Phillip E. Myers, Western Kentucky University Research Foundation; and Brian Schoen, Ohio University.

Panel 3: The Nation Before and After
Before the war, as southern states were seceding from the Union, few Americans could have imagined a war that would last four years, destroy much of the South, and free four million slaves. How did our injured nation begin to create a new social, political, and economic order? Moderated by Eric Foner of Columbia University, the panel includes Paul A. Cimbala, Fordham University; Elizabeth R. Varon, Temple University; Eric H. Walther, University of Houston; and Joan Waugh, UCLA.

Go check it out!


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One response to “The Civil War: Fresh Perspectives Symposium to Be Held November 20, 2010”

  1. Fred Ray Avatar
    Fred Ray

    Doesn’t sound like much in the way of new perspectives given the participant lineup. All these are mainstream historians who have pretty predictable viewpoints. Seems like what you’ll be getting is pretty much the conventional wisdom of the historians of the day.

    If they wanted fresh perspectives they’d invite people like Thomas DeLorenzo, William Marvel, and perhaps a blogger like Dimitri Rotov.

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