Atlanta Cyclorama Hosts Author Douglas Egerton on April 9

The Atlanta Cyclorama will present a free lecture and Q&A on Reconstruction and the Promise of a Progressive Post-Civil War America with Douglas Egerton, Professor of History at Le Moyne College, on Thursday, April 9 at 7 pm.

Often considered a failure by many historians, the Federal government’s efforts to rebuild the nation in the wake of the Civil War proved incredibly challenging. Reconstruction, as this era was known, not only provided much-needed resources for formerly enslaved African Americans and whites alike, but this period also served as the foundation upon which former slave owners planned strategies to regain control of the south, and a time that African Americans would begin to make the case for recompense for centuries of free labor. Using his book, The Wars of Reconstruction: The Brief, Violent History of America’s Most Progressive Era, as the backdrop, Dr. Egerton’s lecture will challenge formerly held notions of Reconstruction and inspire new ways of thinking about this important post-Civil War period. ***Copies of the book will be available for purchase.

The Atlanta Cyclorama & Civil War Museum opened in 1921 and contains the world’s largest oil painting. The circular painting, known as a “cyclorama,” is 42 feet high X 358 feet long, and depicts the series of conflicts which encompass the Battle of Atlanta. Tours of the Cyclorama take place Tuesday through Saturday throughout the day, and include stadium seating for patrons on a revolving platform which affords a 360° view while they listen to details of the exciting events in the painting. The centerpiece of the two story museum is the Texas, the locomotive that won the Civil War adventure called “The Great Locomotive Chase.” The museum also features uniforms, guns & artillery, soldiers’ personal items, maps and other artifacts.

The Atlanta Cyclorama is conveniently located near downtown Atlanta, in Historic Grant Park, at 800 Cherokee Avenue SE, Atlanta, GA 30315. For general information, and more details about this year’s special events, visit our web site: www.atlantacyclorama.org.

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MEDIA CONTACT: Karen Hatchett, karen@hatchettpr.com.