Mary Elizabeth Bowser was a former slave who became a Union spy in the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia. She was part of a pro-Union underground spy ring run by Elizabeth Van Lew, the daughter of a prominent Richmond citizen. In this program, authors Elizabeth Varon and Lois Leveen talk about the life and story of Ms. Bowser, as well as her relationship with Ms. Van Lew. The two authors also discuss how they wrote and researched their books. The event took place at the Museum of the Confederacy in Richmond.

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Saul Cornell discusses his book "A Well-Regulated Militia: The Founding Fathers and the Origins of Gun Control in America."  He explores the opposing sides of the gun control debate, arguing that both base their opinions on a flawed understanding of the second amendment.

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Matthew Wasniewski, U.S. House of Representatives Historian, talks about the book he edited, “Black Americans in Congress, 1870-2007.”  It examines the role African Americans played in Congress after Reconstruction and during the 1960s Civil Rights Movement.  The book includes comprehensive biographies of members including Joseph Rainey, Oscar De Priest, Adam Clayton Powell, and Shirley Chisholm.  This program was recorded in the Rayburn House Office Building.

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The Catoctin Center for Regional Studies hosted a two-day conference on African Americans and the Civil War at Frederick Community College in Maryland. In this program, you'll hear first from historian James McPherson, who examines the reasons for recruiting black soldiers for the war effort. He also discusses the shift from fighting to preserve the Union to fighting to end slavery. Then, Columbia University history professor Barbara Fields looks at racism and slavery during the Civil War era and the motives behind emancipation.
 

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The National Park Service rededicates Arlington House, the Robert E. Lee Memorial. As the nation marks the 150th anniversary of the Civil War and after a six-year restoration effort, Americans can once again see the house much as Lee knew it.

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Historian Frank O’Reilly of the National Park Service discusses the Battle of Chancellorsville, which was fought from April 30th to May 6th, 1863, in Spotsylvania County, Virginia. The fighting resulted in more than 30 thousand total causalities. Historians widely consider the Battle of Chancellorsville to be Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s greatest victory.

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On April 20th, 1999 – Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold murdered 12 of their fellow Columbine High School students and one teacher and then committed suicide.  On History Bookshelf Dave Cullen discusses his book “Columbine”, which presents a comprehensive account of the shootings at the Colorado school.  He talks about the psychology of the shooters, how they evolved into killers, and the stories of the victims and survivors.  This program was recorded at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books.

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Scholars discuss the contributions of U.S. Colored Troops during the Civil War and how they are remembered at various battle sites. The panel also takes a critical look at the characterization of black troops in the 1989 film “Glory,” which focuses on the 54th Massachusetts – one of the first all-black units to fight for the Union. This event was part of a conference at Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania.

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Jane Ziegelman discusses her book, “97 Orchard: An Edible History of Five Immigrant Families in One New York Tenement” which recounts how the culinary heritages of Jewish, Irish, German, and Italian immigrants diversified New York City’s cultural landscape and changed the way Americans eat.

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America's third president and the principal author of the Declaration of Independence - Thomas Jefferson - was born 270 years ago on April 13th, 1743.  In this program recorded in 2005, author and journalist Christopher Hitchens discusses the public and private life of Jefferson detailed in his book, “Thomas Jefferson: Author of America.”  Christopher Hitchens died in 2011.

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