History professor Caroline Janney addresses how slavery and emancipation played into the process of post-war reconciliation. She also discusses the experiences and memories of Northern and Southern veterans in the war’s aftermath. Ms. Janney spoke at the 2012 Civil War Institute Conference at Gettysburg College.

More Info »

Peter Carmichael looks at the military executions in General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson’s command. He talks about the different forms of punishment used under Jackson’s leadership in 1862, and the reactions of Confederate soldiers to these measures. Carmichael is the director of the Civil War Institute at Gettysburg College, and he spoke at the Institute’s 2012 conference.
 

More Info »

Professors and historians discuss Mark Grimsley’s 1997 book, “The Hard Hand of War,” which looks at Union military policies toward Southern civilians. "The Hard Hand of War" was the featured book of the 2012 Civil War Institute Conference at Gettysburg College.

More Info »

Historians discuss the circumstances, outcomes, and ongoing considerations of emancipation. They first place President Lincoln’s September 1862 issuance of the Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation in the context of the War, then broaden out to discuss how Americans think and talk about emancipation and its echoes today. The Smithsonian National Museum of American History hosted this event.

More Info »

Two historians discuss Robert E. Lee’s leadership during the Civil War. They consider Lee’s education, his work as a general, and his ability to maintain troop morale under challenging circumstances. This is the second in a series of sessions we’re airing from a conference organized by the Virginia Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission. The theme of this year’s gathering was Leadership and Generalship in the Civil War. The Virginia Military Institute hosted the conference.

More Info »

Lincoln Bicentennial Foundation Chair Harold Holzer talks about the photographs, prints, and political cartoons featuring two of the war’s leading generals, George B. McClellan and Robert E. Lee. He explains how the tone of those images changed over the course of the war and beyond, as dictated by each general’s successes and failures both on and off the battlefield. This talk is from the 2012 Civil War Institute Conference at Gettysburg College.

More Info »

History bloggers discuss the role they play in the ongoing conversation about the Civil War. They explain the steps they take to ensure academic credibility and accuracy, and talk about the online interactions they have with people who read their posts. This is from the 2012 Civil War Institute Conference at Gettysburg College.

More Info »

Historian James Robertson discusses the Civil War Battle of Second Manassas and Stonewall Jackson's impact on the war. Robertson is the author of "Stonewall Jackson: The Man, the Soldier, the Legend." The Battle of Second Manassas, also known as the Second Battle of Bull Run, took place on August 28-30, 1862, and resulted in a Confederate victory. The Manassas National Battlefield Park hosted this event.

More Info »

Harvard University history professor and author Megan Kate Nelson talks about the battlefield photography and illustrations made in the wake of the Battle of Antietam in September of 1862. Many of the images feature dead soldiers, and Ms. Nelson discusses the impact of those images both during the war and today. This talk is from the 2012 Civil War Institute Conference at Gettysburg College. It contains graphic content and images.

More Info »

Mischa Honeck, author and research fellow at the German Historical Institute, talks about German immigrants and their motivations for fighting in the Civil War. He spoke at the U.S. Capitol Historical Society’s 2012 Civil War Symposium.
 

More Info »