Free Civil War-Themed Films and Author Lectures
Press Release · Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Washington, DC

The National Archives presents a special series of programs in July and August including author lectures, and film screenings, inspired by its current exhibit Discovering the Civil War. The programs are free and open to the public and will be held at noon in the William G. McGowan Theater of the National Archives Building on Constitution Avenue between 7th and 9th Streets, NW. Use the Special Events entrance on the corner of Constitution Avenue and 7th Street.

Discovering the Civil War Part I: Beginnings, is featured in the Lawrence F. O’Brien Gallery of the National Archives Building in Washington, DC, through September 6, 2010. Part II: Consequences, opens November 10, 2010 and runs through April 17, 2011. The exhibit peels back 150 years of accumulated analysis, interpretation, and opinion to reveal a Civil War that is little-known and even more rarely displayed. The exhibition offers visitors the chance to join researchers in unlocking secrets, solving mysteries, and uncovering unexpected events in the Civil War records of the National Archives. Museum Spring/Summer hours (through Labor Day) are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., daily. The exhibition is presented by the Center for the National Archives Experience and the Foundation for the National Archives.

Saturday, July 17
The Red Badge of Courage
John Huston directed this drama based on Stephen Crane’s novel, published in 1895, about a young Union soldier facing the horrors of war. Starring Audie Murphy. (1951; 70 minutes)

Wednesday, July 28
Reluctant Rebels: The Confederates Who Joined the Army after 1861
After the feverish mobilization of secession had faded, why did Southern men join the Confederate army? Kenneth Noe, author of Reluctant Rebels, examines the motives and subsequent performance of “later enlisters.” He discusses the men who have often been cast as less patriotic and less committed to the cause, rekindling the debate on these later enlistees—who they were, why they joined, and why they stayed and fought. A book signing will follow the program.

Wednesday, August 4
Topsy-Turvey: How the Civil War Turned the World Upside Down for Southern Children
Join us as Anya Jabour discusses her latest book, Topsy-Turvy, which presents the Civil War as a major turning point in the lives of Southern children, while also illuminating the interplay between continuity and change in the history of the American South. Because the war was fought largely on Southern soil, parts of the region became a permanent landscape of war and children in the Confederacy experienced the struggle in an especially profound and personal way. A book signing will follow the program.

Saturday, August 21
Shenandoah
James Stewart stars as a Virginia widower who is indifferent to the Civil War until his family becomes involved. (1965; 105 minutes.)

To verify the date and times of the programs, the public should call the Public Programs Line at: (202) 357-5000, or view the Calendar of Events online. To request an accommodation (e.g., sign language interpreter) for a public program, e-mail public.program@nara.gov or call 202-357-5000 two weeks prior to the event.

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