Making Sense of the American Civil War

A hundred and fifty years after the defining war in our nation’s history, Americans are still discovering its meaning.

This defining event in our history will be explored in a free reading and discussion series titled, “Making Sense of the American Civil War,” to be led by George Vourlojianis, associate professor of History at Lorain County Community College.

The free series will be held at 7 p.m. in room 231 of the LCCC Barbara and Mike Bass Library and Community Resource Center. It will cover the following topics on the following dates:

• Imagining War  – January 23
• Choosing Sides – February 20
• Making Sense of Shiloh – March 12
• The Shape of War – April 2
• War and Freedom – May 7.

This program is designed as a series of conversations about the different facets of the Civil War experience, informed by reading the words written or spoken by important voices from the past and present, he noted.  

Readings for the series are from the following titles: “March,” by Geraldine Brooks; “Crossroads of Freedom: Antietam,” by James McPherson; and “America’s War: Talking about the Civil War and Emancipation on their 150th Anniversaries,” edited by Edward L. Ayers.
  These three books are available from the LCCC Bass Library.  LCCC Library cards are available to community users at no charge.

While the discussion series is free, registration – for individual sessions or the entire series – is necessary.