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Bruce Goldfarb, author of 18 Tiny Deaths: The Untold Story of Frances Glessner Lee and the Invention of Modern Forensics, showed several dollhouse-sized crime scenes that are used for training classes in the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office of Maryland. He also told the story of Frances Glessner Lee, who constructed the scenes in the mid-1940s at Harvard University, and who helped pioneer the science of crime scene investigation.

During the Great Depression and World War II, photographers working for the U.S. Government’s Farm Security Administration (FSA) and later the Office of War Information (OWI) created about 1,600 color photographs depicting life in the United States and war production activities.
Collection Curator Beverly Brannan of the Library of Congress talked about the photographers and the images.

Thomas Craughwell talked about his book Stealing Lincoln’s Body, published by Belknap Press. He described the attempted theft of President Abraham Lincoln’s remains on the eve the 1876 election. Several Chicago counterfeiters planned to hold Lincoln’s corpse for ransom in exchange for the release of a counterfeiting cohort who was imprisoned. Mr. Craughwell detailed how the plan was hatched and how it was foiled. After his presentation the author responded to audience members' questions.

The event was held at the President Abraham Lincoln Hotel and Conference Center.

During the Great Depression and World War II, photographers working for the U.S. Government’s Farm Security Administration (FSA) and later the Office of War Information (OWI) created about 1,600 color photographs depicting life in the United States and war production activities.
Collection Curator Beverly Brannan of the Library of Congress talked about the photographers and the images.

American History TV toured the National Museum of the American Indian “Americans” exhibit with curator Cecile Ganteaume. In the Battle of Little Bighorn gallery, she showed Lakota headdresses, shields, and drawings about the 1876 battle. She also explored how depictions of Plains Indians have changed over time in newspaper articles, movies, television and Wild West shows.

Thomas Fleming talked about his book The Perils of Peace: America’s Struggle for Survival After Yorktown, published by Collins. In his book Mr. Fleming recounts America’s earliest days following George Washington’s victory at Yorktown. At the time 13,000 British troops still occupied New York City and the national treausury was void of money. The war was not yet concluded nor was victory certain. Mr. Fleming talked about the struggle to hold the army together until the peace treaty was reached. Topics included General Washington’s farewell address to his troops that was delivered at Fraunces Tavern, where this talk was given. Mr. Fleming also responded to questions from members of the audience.

Historian Thomas Fleming talked about his book The Great Divide: The Conflict Between Washington and Jefferson That Defined A Nation, in which he examines the differences of political opinion between George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, which included debates over the strength of a central government and foreign policy.

Major Heather Penney talked about her actions on September 11, 2001. Then a lieutenant, she was one of the first District of Columbia Air National Guard F-16 pilots scrambled from Andrews Air Force Base after the terrorist attacks. She described how she would have downed a civilian plane if necessary and why that would have been a suicide mission.

Scott Hartwig, the former supervisory historian at Gettysburg National Military Park, talked about the lead up to the September 1862 Battle of Antietam and Abraham Lincoln’s announcing the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation right after the battle. This talk was part of a symposium hosted by the “Emerging Civil War” blog.

Matt Atkinson has worked as a ranger at both the Gettysburg and Vicksburg national military parks. He compared those two 1863 campaigns as turning points in the Civil War and explored why Gettysburg looms larger in historical memory than western theater battles such as Vicksburg. This talk was part of a symposium on hosted by the “Emerging Civil War” blog.