Civil War Lecture Series Highlights Diverse Voices
The University of Ïăœ¶ÊÓÆ”APP â Fort Smith will host a civil war lecture series titled âOur only âfeltâ history: New Perspectives on the U.S. Civil Warâ featuring leading scholars in the field throughout the semester, thanks to funding from a Research and Innovation mini-grant awarded by the UAFS provostâs office.
âThis series meshes nicely with the universityâs mission by making sure that that students leave UAFS with a complete understanding of the deep historical roots of contemporary U.S. issues,â said Dr. Evan C. Rothera, assistant professor of history.
âMany people fall into the trap of understanding the Civil War as all about battles and leaders,â Rothera said. âThey focus on the view from headquarters and only see the long blue and gray lines marching across a field. The speakers in this series will discuss the people often ignored in older Civil War narratives â women, African Americans, Native Americans, and immigrants, and their lectures will reinforce the current work of the institutionâs Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.â
The first lecture in the series will be delivered by Dr. Antwain K. Hunter of Butler University. His talk, ââA number of small black boys about town had pistols in their possessionâ: Race, Illegal Firearms, and the Law in Antebellum North Carolinaâ will take place Wednesday, February 23, 2022, at 3:30 p.m. on Zoom (event no longer in session). Though originally intended to be hosted in-person, this kickoff event has moved fully remote due to the threat of inclement weather.
Future lectures will be delivered in hybrid format with refreshments at the Windgate Art & Design building ahead of each lecture, which will be delivered in person and via Zoom.
âThis is indeed a world that can and does turn on a dime, and it is easier than ever to be connected to people and places across the world,â Rothera added. âIronically, the flood of information brought about by global communication has caused many people to turn inward. All of the speakers in this series will problematize the Civil War and remind us that we have to understand the interplay between local, state, national, and transnational phenomena to truly understand the past, and its context in the present.â
The full slate of lectures includes:
Dr. Antwain K. Hunter of Butler University
ââA number of small black boys about town had pistols in their possessionâ: Race, Illegal Firearms, and the Law in Antebellum North Carolinaâ
3:30 p.m., Wednesday, February 23, 2022
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Dr. Matthew D. Norman of the University of Cincinnati, Blue Ash College
âKnowing Him by Heart: African Americans on Abraham Lincolnâ
3:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 3, 2022
Dr. Claire M. Wolnisty of Austin College
âA Different Manifest Destinyâ
3 p.m. Thursday, March 31, 2022
Dr. Shae Smith Cox of Nicholls State University
âClothed in Service: Indigenous Civil War Service, Sacrifice, and Commemoration.â
3 p.m. Wednesday, April 20, 2022
- Tags:
- History
- Political Science
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