Civil War

04 21, 2019

The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln

By admin|2019-04-21T06:00:08-04:00April 21, 2019|

No presidential assassination is inconsequential, but Abraham Lincoln’s murder was a pivotal moment in our nation’s history. It set the tone for the lengthy and contentious Reconstruction Era – though perhaps not the way in which his assassin, John Wilkes Booth, and co-conspirators intended.

Learn all about Booth, his conspiracy to behead the Union, and Lincoln’s final hours from the experts at James A. Garfield National Historic Site. You’ll discover:

how Booth was able to target and kill Lincoln so easily
the story of the first woman ever executed by the US government
the surprising connection between Edwin Booth (the assassin’s brother) and Robert Lincoln (the president’s son.)

Our Civil War series continues at noon on Wednesday, May 8, at our Main Branch. We’ll learn about the Fourteenth Amendment. As always, the talk is free and open to all.

By the way, if you’re interested in Civil War history, several talks in our Civil War series can be viewed online in their entirety, including:

02 19, 2019

Life & Legacy of Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain

By admin|2019-02-19T06:00:03-05:00February 19, 2019|

Our Civil War series continues with the hero of Little Round Top – well, certainly one of the heroes – Brevet Major-General Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain.

Many of us know about the heroics of the 20th Maine at Gettysburg. But what about the injury that nearly killed him during the Siege of Petersburg? His tenure as governor? His troubled marriage?

Learn all about the life and legacy of Chamberlain from the experts at James A. Garfield National Historic Site.

By the way, Chamberlain was a prolific author in his own right, and you can borrow his Passing of the Armies from our library. You can also borrow The Killer Angels, the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel that renewed Chamberlain’s celebrity and inspired Gettysburg.

Our Civil War series continues at noon on Wednesday, March 13, at our Main Branch. We’ll learn about Cleveland’s Civil War Soldiers & Sailors Monument. As always, the talk is free and open to all.

By the way, if you’re interested in Civil War history, several talks in our Civil War series can be viewed online in their entirety, including:

11 20, 2018

US Civil War: Cycloramas as Art, Entertainment & Memorial

By admin|2018-11-20T06:00:49-05:00November 20, 2018|

Cycloramas were the zenith of art and entertainment in their heyday — 50 feet high and surrounding you from all sides.

These traveling exhibits required specially constructed buildings and were as immersive as modern virtual reality.

Some of the most famous cycloramas depicted Civil War batteries like Gettysburg and Atlanta. In fact, you can still see a Gettysburg Cyclorama at the National Historic Site.

An expert from James A. Garfield National Historic Site discusses the role of Civil War cycloramas as art, journalism, entertainment and memorial.

Our Civil War series continues at noon on Wednesday, Dec. 12, at our Main Branch. Learn how you can research your family’s Civil War genealogy using online database.

By the way, if you’re interested in Civil War history, several talks in our Civil War series can be viewed online in their entirety, including:

10 18, 2018

60 Years of Service: The Life & Service of Admiral. David G. Farragut

By admin|2018-10-18T06:00:20-04:00October 18, 2018|

Admiral David G. Farragut’s life and military tenure were unprecedented. He started serving in the US Navy when he was nine years old. He served during three wars, including the Civil War.

An expert from James A. Garfield National Historic Site discusses the life of our country’s first full admiral.

Our Civil War series continues at noon on Wednesday, Nov. 14, at our Main Branch. The topic will the explain the role of cycloramas during the Civil War.

By the way, if you’re interested in Civil War history, some other previous talks in our Civil War series can be viewed online in their entirety:

08 30, 2018

Ulysses Grant & the Election of 1868

By admin|2018-08-30T06:00:53-04:00August 30, 2018|

What were the major issues in the first presidential election after the Civil War? Reconstruction, certainly. Civil Rights, definitely. But the country faced a whole host of issues, and a crowded field of candidates had a lot of different ideas about how to address them.

An expert from James A. Garfield National Historic Site guides us through this important and contentious election during the latest lecture in our Leaders & Legacies of the Civil War series.

Our Civil War series continues at noon on Wednesday, Sept. 12, at our Main Branch. The topic will the last Confederate surrender at Bennett Place, NC.

By the way, if you’re interested in Civil War history, some other previous talks in our Civil War series can be viewed online in their entirety:

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