In recognition of the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, the Scotch Plains Public Library will offer a lecture and discussion series and a musical performance this fall. These programs are free and open to all interested members of the public. William B. Rogers, Associate Dean, Caspersen School of Graduate Studies, Drew University, will present The Civil War in American Memory on five Monday evenings, October through March, at 7:00pm in the library’s community room.
Dr. Rogers, who teaches nineteenth-century American history , the impact of war on American society, and Irish/Irish-American history and literature, states, “Most Americans have at least some knowledge of the Civil War; Lincoln and slavery, Grant and Lee, Gettysburg and Appomattox. But how much do they really know about the war, its causes, heroes and villains, and its lasting consequences? … In this series we will explore several of the key ongoing debates about the war in an attempt to shed some light on events that still inspire—and trouble—Americans one hundred and fifty years later.”
The series launches on Monday, October 3, 2011 with "From Jamestown to Fort Sumter", an introduction and discussion about the various causes that have been advanced as reasons for the war.
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The series will continue on Monday, November 7, 2011 with “The Civil War in Combat (and Politics!)" "Death was in every shot,” claimed a captain in the 13th Virginia about a Federal charge during the Battle of the Wilderness on May 5, 1864. This description could have been made describing hundreds of battles of the Civil War. Participants will explore what it like was for the Civil War soldier in combat and in camp. They will ponder what led average men to withstand the horrors of Bloody Lane at Antietam, Devil’s Den at Gettysburg and the Mule Shoe at Spotsylvania Courthouse, and look at how he has been portrayed in American popular culture in the years following the war.
The third session on Monday, January 9, 2012 “Leaders of the Civil War,” will examine the careers, lore and outright lies surrounding some of the best known leaders of the war including Lincoln, Grant, Lee, Jackson, and Sherman. Participants will take time to discuss what they imagine these leaders would think about how the war is portrayed today, and the current shape of American society.
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On Monday, February 6, 2012 the group will delve into “The Myth of the Confederacy,” considering findings in recent works that make the case that the South was not as unified as we have been led to believe. Dr. Rogers will present polling results on how modern Americans, North and South, see the issues surrounding the Civil War today.
The series will conclude on Monday, March 5, 2012 with “The Civil War in Movies.” The library will offer film screenings in advance of this presentation that will allow participants to discuss key themes in the most popular Civil War films and the role they played in how generations of Americans have viewed the Civil War and its aftermath. Dr. Rogers will reserve time for questions and answers on all aspects of the War, as he concludes the series. For more information, visit www.scotlib.org or call 908-322-5007. All are welcome.
