National Archives Presents Free Civil War-Themed Public Programs in March
Press Release · Monday, February 7, 2011

Washington, DC

The National Archives presents a special series of programs in March including book talks, a Lincoln Symposium, and a film, all inspired by Part II, Consequences, of the Discovering the Civil War exhibition. The programs are free and open to the public, and will be held at the National Archives Building in Washington, DC, and the National Archives at College Park, MD. Both buildings are fully accessible. See directions. For programs in the William G. McGowan Theater of the National Archives Building, please use the Special Events entrance on the corner of Constitution Avenue and 7th Street. For the records program in the Research Center, please use the Pennsylvania Avenue entrance.

Discovering the Civil War Part II, Consequences, is featured in the Lawrence F. O’Brien Gallery of the National Archives Building in Washington, DC, 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 winter hours (through March 14) are 10A.M. to 5:30 P.M. daily, and 10 A.M. to 7 P.M. (through Labor Day). The exhibition is presented by the Center for the National Archives Experience and the Foundation for the National Archives.

BOOK TALK:  Now the Drum of War: Walt Whitman and his Brothers in the Civil War
Wednesday, March 2, at noon, William G. McGowan Theater
Educator and author Robert Roper discusses his book Now the Drum of War:  Walt Whitman and his Brothers in the Civil War, which chronicles the experiences of the Whitman family through their wartime letters. The story covers their lives on the home front, in military hospitals, on battlefields, and in a Confederate prison camp as the fighting ended. A book signing will follow the program; the book is available at a discount from the Archives Shop (202-357-5271) before and during the event.

RECORDS WORKSHOP:  Beyond the Basics: Civil War Patents
Wednesday, March 16, at 11 A.M., Research Center Room G-24, (Penn. Ave. Entrance)
Michael Hussey, archivist, will teach today's “beyond the basic” archival research skills on patents developed during the Civil War (all skill levels welcome).

BOOK TALK:  My Thoughts be Bloody: The Bitter Rivalry between Edwin and John Wilkes Booth that Led to an American Tragedy
Friday, March 18, at noon, William G. McGowan Theater
Historian Nora Titone discusses her book My Thoughts be Bloody, which chronicles the rivalry between the Booth brothers Edwin and John Wilkes in their efforts to claim their father’s legacy on the stage. While Edwin’s star rose, bringing him wealth and social prominence, John spiraled downward into disappointment and obscurity. Using an array of letters, diaries, and reminiscences of the Booth family, Titone reveals new reasons why John Wilkes Booth became this country’s most notorious assassin. A book signing will follow the program; the book is available at a discount from the Archives Shop (202-357-5271) before and during the event.

FILM:  Dances With Wolves
Saturday, March 19, at noon, William G. McGowan Theater
Having been sent to a remote outpost in the wilderness of the Dakota territory during the Civil War, Lt. John Dunbar encounters, and is eventually accepted into, the local Sioux tribe. The film stars Kevin Costner. (1990; 181 minutes)

SYMPOSIUM:  14th Annual Latest in Lincoln Scholarship Symposium
Saturday, March 26, 9 A.M.–6 P.M., National Archives at College Park, MD
The National Archives hosts a daylong symposium, The Latest in Lincoln Scholarship. The symposium will provide historical insight into some of the most critically important facets of Lincoln’s Presidency. See speakers, details and registration information [http://www.lincoln-institute.org/symposia/sym2011/index.htm].

BOOK TALK: Railroads of the Civil War: An Illustrated History
Wednesday, March 30, at noon, William G. McGowan Theater
During the Civil War, the first war fully dependent on railroads, the “iron horse” became a major weapon. In Railroads of the Civil War, Michael Leavy reevaluates the role of railroads in the war and explains how trains influenced the outcome of battles and the war in general. A book signing will follow the program; the book is available at a discount from the Archives Shop (202-357-5271) before and during the event.

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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