Professor Lucas E. Morel looks at the views of slavery and abolitionism that preceded the Civil War, including those of Abraham Lincoln, William Lloyd Garrison, and Frederick Douglass.
To listen to this lecture, scroll to the Monday, June 21st, 7:30 pm-9:30 pm session; and select the corresponding RealAudio link to the left.
An older version of this lecture can be found here.
Dr. David W. Blight discusses the Civil War from the viewpoint of the abolitionist Frederick Douglass. Blight explores Douglass's relationship with Abraham Lincoln, and the ways in which their perceptions of the Civil War matched and differed.
To listen to this lecture, scroll to the Monday, June 21st, 2:00 pm-3:30 pm session; and select the corresponding RealAudio link to the left.
Professor Mackubin T. Owens traces the flow of antebellum history, up to the Civil War, examining the many changes and pushes for more change that characterized this period.
To listen to this lecture, scroll to the Sunday, June 20th, 7:15 pm-9:00 pm session; and select either the RealAudio image or link in the gray bar to the left of the main body of text.
Older versions of this lecture, from newer to older, can be found here and here.
Professor Ken Masugi examines the 1856 U.S. Supreme Court case Dred Scott v. Sandford, in which the slave Dred Scott argued that, as he had lived and worked in both a free state and a free territory, he was now legally free. The case was decided against Scott, ruling that no African American could be a citizen and that Congress could not prohibit slavery in the territories. Masugi uses the case to look at the Court and Constitution's use and role in the Civil War.
To listen to this lecture, scroll to session four, and select the RealAudio link to the left.
Professor Steven E. Woodworth examines the "Lost Cause" view of the Civil War—as the South as justified in going to war. Woodworth also looks at the religious life and beliefs of Civil-War-era soldiers and civilians and how religion contributed to the war and the perspectives of those waging it. He refers to the film Gods and Generals and scholarly criticism of it.
To listen to this lecture, scroll to the guest lecture after session four, and select the RealAudio link to the left of the text.
Professor Lucas E. Morel details the debates between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas in the 1858 campaign for an Illinois seat in the United States Senate. Morel looks at the discussion of slavery in these debates. This lecture continues from the lecture "Lincoln-Douglas Debates, Part One."
To listen to this lecture, scroll to session seven, and select the RealAudio image or link in the gray bar to the left of the main body of text.
Professor Lucas E. Morel examines the interrelationship of political decisions and pressures, westward expansion, and the issue of slavery in the antebellum U.S. and how these forces combined to lead to the Civil War. This lecture continues from the lecture "Slavery, Antebellum Politics, and Westward Expansion, Part One."
To listen to this lecture, scroll to session five, and select the RealAudio image or link in the gray bar to the left of the main body of text.
Professor Lucas E. Morel examines the interrelationship of political decisions and pressures, westward expansion, and the issue of slavery in the antebellum U.S. and how these forces combined to lead to the Civil War.
To listen to this lecture, scroll to session four, and select the RealAudio image or link in the gray bar to the left of the main body of text.
The Harriet Beecher Stowe Center preserves and interprets Stowe's Hartford home and the Center's historic collections, promotes vibrant discussion of her life and work, and inspires commitment to social justice and positive change. A visit to the Center includes the Harriet Beecher Stowe House, a Victorian Gothic Revival home (1871) which includes Victorian-style gardens; the Katharine Seymour Day House (1884), a mansion adjacent to the Stowe House; and the Stowe Visitor Center (1873), with changing exhibitions.
The center offers exhibits, tours, reference library access, and occasional recreational and educational events.
Reverend Samuel Adair and his wife, Florella, were peaceful abolitionists who came to Kansas and settled near Osawatomie, an abolitionist community and a center of conflict during "Bleeding Kansas." The Adair cabin was a station on the Underground Railroad and Florella's half brother, John Brown, used this cabin as his headquarters. The cabin survived the Battle of Osawatomie where John Brown and 30 free-state defenders fought 250 proslavery militia in 1856, and stands on the battle site today. Visitors to the Museum can learn more about the Adairs, John Brown, and others who struggled to survive the border war.
The museum offers exhibits, tours, and occasional educational and recreational events.