William C. Harris of North Carolina State University describes the qualities Lincoln possessed that directed his leadership decisions during the Civil War.

Confederate Gen. Joseph E. Johnston saw an opportunity to at least slow down Gen. William T. Sherman's 60,000-man Union army as it marched through North Carolina in March 1865. The Confederates set a trap for Sherman near the tiny hamlet of Bentonville; but the resulting battle, March 19-21, 1865, turned out to be a decisive Union victory. This audio tour covers the turning points of the battle, the largest fought in North Carolina.

Three speakers present in this second half of an all-day symposium commemorating the bicentennial of Abraham Lincoln. Lucas E. Morel presents "Lincoln on Race, Equality and the Spirit of '76"; Lincoln's lifelong interest in language is the subject of a talk given by Douglas L. Wilson; and Elizabeth D. Leonard delivers the final presentation of the symposium, "Ally on the Team of Rivals: Lincoln and His Point Man for Military Justice," in which she discusses Judge Advocate General Joseph Holt, the president's chief of the War Department's Bureau of Military Justice.

The first half of this symposium may be found here.

Three speakers present in this first half of an all-day symposium commemorating the bicentennial of Abraham Lincoln. Commemorating the 148th anniversary of Lincoln's first inaugural address, Harold Holzer presents a talk titled "Lincoln Comes to Washington: The Journey of a President-Elect"; James M. McPherson speaks on "Abraham Lincoln as Commander in Chief"; and William Lee Miller discusses Lincoln's struggle to transform ideals and bring about a better understanding of freedom.

The second half of the symposium may be found here.

Eighth-grade American history educator Eric Langhorst introduces the online Lincoln's Crossroads Game from the National Constitution Center, an interactive way for students to learn about the issues of Lincoln's time and then make their own choices. They will compare their decision-making skills with Lincoln on 13 issues and learn how many times they make the same choice.

Video and audio options are available.

Eighth-grade American history educator Eric Langhorst introduces an online interactive version of the Gettysburg Address offered by the Smithsonian, suggesting it for use in the classroom.

Dr. Edward Ayers explores the complex legacy of the Civil War and Reconstruction as it resonates within American culture, domestic and foreign policy, and citizenship.

The fighting in the Wheatfield at Gettysburg on July 2, 1863, was some of the most intense and confusing of the war. Gettysburg park historian Eric Campbell leads listeners through the bloody back-and-forth action.

Dr. Anne Knowles of Middlebury College answers the question "What could Lee see at Gettysburg?" Dr. Knowles builds two digital terrain models of the battlefield, one from 1996 data derived from aerial photographs, the other based on contour lines extracted from an 1874 map of the battlefield. Using a technique called viewshed analysis, she investigates how lines of sight and real-time geographic information may have influenced commanders' decisions and terrain perceptions. The results suggest that historical maps and evidence from the physical landscape can shed new light on even the most familiar historical subjects.

Dr. Gary Gallagher, University of Virginia, discusses themes and strategies for teaching the Civil War and the Reconstruction.

To listen to this podcast, select "Podcast" under the November 2nd listing.