New Perspectives on the Civil War Era

We are proud to present the “New Perspectives on the Civil War Era” speaker series. Organized by VCCWS postdoctoral fellow Caroline Newhall and director Paul Quigley, the series showcases the research of emerging historians working on innovative topics and approaches.…

Conference — Slavery During the Civil War

The center will sponsor an academic conference, “The Great Strike: Slavery During the American Civil War,” April 21-23, 2022, at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia. We are currently accepting proposals for papers, panels, and other contributions; proposals should be submitted…

The Traveling Trunk of Civil War History

In 2014, center director Paul Quigley and graduate assistants Tom Seabrook and Kevin “Tiny” Dawson designed a new way to bring Civil War history into elementary school classrooms. The “Traveling Trunk of Civil War History” contains clothing, tools, images, documents,…

Civil War Driving Tour of Southwest Virginia

Southwest Virginia is all too often overlooked in histories of the Civil War era. Our region is far away from the best-known battlefields such as Gettysburg and Bull Run. Yet it contains many sites of Civil War significance. The…

Museum Exhibit: Black Virginians in the Age of Emancipation

How did African Americans define freedom during the Civil War era and beyond? A group of Virginia Tech students from the VCCWS and the department of history designed an exhibit that is on public display at the American Civil…

Virginia Center for Civil War Studies

Civil War history lives at Virginia Tech. From its home in Virginia Tech’s History Department, the Virginia Center for Civil War Studies promotes greater understanding of the Civil War era among academics and the public. Whether you’re a student or a professional historian, a serious history buff or someone who just likes to learn, we have something to offer you.