Videos

Cassandra Newby-Alexander talked about her book, “Standing on the Precipice of Change: Virginia’s African American Fighters in the Civil War.” She explained the term “contraband” - often use…

Elizabeth Varon and William Kurtz of the University of Virginia’s Nau Center for Civil War History discussed their digital project “Black Virginians in Blue,” which details the stories of Af…

Susan Neiman is the author of Learning from the Germans: Race and the Memory of Evil, which describes Germany’s reconciliation with its past -- particularly World War II. She discussed what …

University of Virginia professor Elizabeth Varon talked about former Confederate General James Longstreet and his reputation after the Civil War. She described how Longstreet joined the Repu…

Professor Kathryn Shively Meier talked about Jubal Early’s experiences as a Confederate general, focusing on his loss to Union General Philip Sheridan during the 1864 Shenandoah Campaign. Sh…

Civil War scholar Jonathan White talked about how Abraham Lincoln interacted with African Americans he met during his time in office. He explained how Lincoln’s willingness to have African A…

Oberlin College history Professor Tamkia Nunley talked about the experiences of newly freed African Americans, particularly women, in the Washington, D.C., area following the 1862 District o…

Historian Gary Gallagher addressed the misconceptions Americans have about the Civil War and outlined four concepts he believes are crucial in understanding the conflict. This talk was part …

Historian Gary Gallagher talked with Lincoln and Civil War scholar Allen Guelzo about his previous work on President Abraham Lincoln as well as his current project on Confederate General Rob…

Susannah Ural, author of Hood’s Texas Brigade, talked about success of this Confederate unit despite high casualties at the Battle of Antietam. She outlined the influences that shaped the br…

William “Jack” Davis offered his insights as a Civil War historian and explained how historiography has evolved from the late-20th century to the present. He talked about the lessons he has …

University of Cincinnati Professor Christopher Phillips talked about the way tactics and ideologies from the Western Theater, such as guerrilla fighting, influenced other theaters of the Civ…

Paul Quigley examined the various reasons for the outbreak of the Civil War and showed artifacts from the period that represent some of the causes. Mr. Quigley is the editor of the book, The…

William Kurtz of the University of Virginia talked about General William Rosecrans' career, reputation and his clashes with superiors such as General Ulysses S. Grant and Secretary of War Ed…

William Kurtz of the University of Virginia talked about General William Rosecrans' career, reputation, and clashes with superiors such as General Ulysses S. Grant and Secretary of War Edwin…

University of Virginia Professor Stephen Cushman described how the Civil War affected the life of Mark Twain. He analyzed some of Twain’s writings to look at how the author interpreted the d…

Author and historian Gary Gallagher analyzed the differences between the three major Civil War theaters. He argued that the battles held in the Eastern Theater had the greatest political and…

Historian Edward Ayers analyzed the difference between history and memory and discussed the important role that scholarship plays in public history. He also examined how the American public …

Virginia Commonwealth University Professor Kathryn Shively discussed the role of military history in the modern study of the Civil War. She also talked about how analyzing different aspects …

Elizabeth Varon, author of, Armies of Deliverance: A New History of the Civil War, talked about Southern Unionists during the Civil War. She described efforts to aid the Union by Richmond sp…