Videos

University of Oxford history professor Adam Smith talked about how the politics and opinion of Northern communities shifted during the Civil War to support for both the war and destruction o…

Vanderbilt University history professor emeritus Richard Blackett talked about Underground Railroad and the enforcement of the Fugitive Slave Law. The Virginia Civil War Museum in Richmond, …

Author Ken Rutherford talks about the early history of landmines, which were used for the first time on a widespread basis during the Civil War. The American Civil War Museum in Appomattox, …

Kelly Hancock talked about Washington, D.C. socialite and Confederate spy Rose O’Neal Greenhow. According to the author, before the Battle of Manassas, Ms. Greenhow used her connections to g…

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…

American Civil War Museum intepretation specialist Karissa Marken talked about Civil War guerilla fighters who later became outlaws in the West including Jesse James, his brother Frank, and …

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 …

Kelly Hancock of the American Civil War Museum talked about the 1863 Richmond bread riots. She described the inflation and scarcity of goods that led hundreds of poor and working-class women…

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 …

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…

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…

Pulitzer Prize-winning presidential historian Jon Meacham talked about learning from history and how it can provide context for current events. He discussed his book, The Soul of America: Th…

Rhodes College Professor Timothy Huebner described how Abraham Lincoln changed the Supreme Court during his presidency. He also analyzed the question of whether Lincoln “packed the court.” A…

This second of a two-part look at the wartime home of Confederate States of America President Jefferson Davis features the second floor of the mansion, where Davis spent many hours in his of…

During the Civil War, Confederate President Jefferson Davis and his family lived in a Richmond, Virginia mansion. Now referred to as “the White House of the Confederacy,” the residence was …