The Fredericksburg Area Museum and Cultural Center, the National Park
Service, and the University of Mary Washington are pleased to announce the
second program in the Years of Anguish Sesquicentennial speakers’ forum.
On November 12, 2011, from 1 – 5 pm in Dodd Auditorium, FAMCC, NPS and UMW
will present Years of Anguish: A Nation Goes to War, featuring acclaimed
historians Gary Gallagher and Peter Carmichael. Dr. Jeff McClurken from
the University of Mary Washington will moderate.
Following on our wildly successful inaugural entry of Years of Anguish,
November’s program will again look at the war through a national, state,
and local lens. Dr. Gallagher will present, “Devoted to Union,” a look at
how many Americans opted to embrace war rather than see the work of the
founding fathers destroyed by secession. Dr. Carmichael will look at
Virginia’s decent into war–specifically how the generation of 1861
understood the war and why they fought.
A Nation Goes to War will also examine how the Fredericksburg region
responded to the onset of war. Using the voices of those who were here,
National Park Service historian John Hennessy will look at how the
Fredericksburg region mobilized, and how war washed over the area in
1861–an exciting interlude for local citizens that would become stark
contrast to the horror yet to come.
Dr. Gary Gallagher is the John L. Nau III Professor in the History of the
American Civil War at the University of Virginia. Dr. Gallagher is one of
the leading historians of the Civil War. His books include The Confederate
War, Lee and His Generals in War and Memory, and Stephen Dodson Ramseur:
Lee’s Gallant General. He has coauthored and edited several works on
individual battles and campaigns and has published over 100 articles in
scholarly journals and popular historical magazines. Dr. Gallagher has
received many awards for his research and writing, including the Laney
Prize for the best book on the Civil War, the William Woods Hassler Award
for contributions to Civil War studies, and the Fletcher Pratt Award for
the best nonfiction book on the Civil War.
Dr. Peter Carmichael is the Director of the Civil War Institute and Robert
C. Fluhrer, Professor of Civil War Studies at Gettysburg. He received his
Ph.D. from Pennsylvania State University and was a professor of history at
West Virginia University specializing in Civil War studies before joining
the faculty of Gettysburg College. Dr. Carmichael’s most recent book is
The Last Generation: Young Virginians in Peace, War, and Reunion and he is
currently working on a book project in which, Black Rebels, will explore
the experience of slaves who served Confederate soldiers.
A book signing will follow immediately in the reception hall of Dodd
Auditorium. Books may be purchased during the forum, or prior to the event
at the Museum Store, 215 William Street. This event will be in the
University of Mary Washington’s Dodd Auditorium and is FREE to the public.
Pre-registration is not required, but is requested. Register on-line at
www.famcc.org, or 540-371-3037 ext. 400.
For more information on this event please visit www.famcc.org or contact
Sara Poore at spoore@famcc.org, John Hennessy at John_Hennessy@nps.gov, or
Jeff McClurken at jmcclurk@umw.edu. Register on-line at www.famcc.org.
The mission of the Fredericksburg Area Museum and Cultural Center is to
collect, interpret and present the history of the Fredericksburg region and
community.