Upcoming events – Virginia Center for Civil War Studies

Free webinar — Lincoln’s Peace

When did the American Civil War truly end? Was it on April 9, 1865, as conventional wisdom holds, when Lee surrendered to Grant at Appomattox? Or was it ten weeks later on June 19—Juneteenth—when Black Americans in Galveston celebrated the end of slavery? Or was it a few days after that, when the Cherokee leader Stand Watie became the last Confederate general to surrender? Not until August 20, 1866, was there something like an official end, a mere declaration by President Andrew Johnson that the war was over, even as racial violence and political chaos continued to tear the country apart.

In a free webinar on April 22 at 7 p.m., Michael Vorenberg, the author of Lincoln’s Peace: The Struggle to End the American Civil War, will discuss the multiple endings and non-endings of the Civil War. To search for the Civil War’s endpoint is to grapple with the war’s true nature and legacy, and to confront whether any war has an obvious ending, and if it does, who gets to say when it’s over.

The event is free and open to the public, but registration is required. Click here to register:

https://virginiatech.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Ov7TwXjmQjOpdAU-8i_O_A

Vorenberg is a professor of history at Brown University, in Providence, Rhode Island. He is the author of Final Freedom: The Civil War, the Abolition of Slavery, and the Thirteenth Amendment, and The Emancipation Proclamation: A Brief History with Documents.

Civil War Weekend

We look forward to welcoming you to Blacksburg March 28-30, 2025 for Virginia Tech’s annual Civil War Weekend. You’ll hear from a stellar group of speakers and enjoy fellowship with other history enthusiasts—all in the comfortable surroundings of the Inn at Virginia Tech.

This year’s theme is “Civil War Duos.” The Civil War era fundamentally transformed human connections—from friendships and marriages to political alliances—bringing some Americans together into productive new relationships while driving existing partnerships apart. This year our speakers will explore an array of different partnerships that took new forms amid the challenges of slavery, sectional conflict, and war.

Keynote speaker Ilyon Woo will share the incredible story of the enslaved couple who escaped to freedom in disguise, the subject of her recent Pulitzer Prize-winning book, Master, Slave, Husband, Wife. Our distinguished speakers will also investigate the critical relationships between leaders on both sides: Lincoln and McClellan, Lee and Jackson. We’ll learn about how war transformed romantic pairings in the North and the South. One lecture will explore a more institutional duo, examining how the United States Army and Navy slowly worked their way toward a more harmonious collaboration as the war went on.

You can also join us for our annual Spring Campaign — an optional two-night field trip. From our base in Frederick, Maryland, we’ll take a custom guided tour of the storied battleground of Gettysburg, focusing on the critical military decisions that made July 1863 go down in history. We’ll also explore the National Museum of Civil War Medicine and the Monocacy Battlefield, where Jubal Early’s Confederates threatened to break through to Washington, DC, in July 1864.

See you in March!

Please note: We are committed to making our events accessible. If you are an individual with a disability and desire an accommodation, please contact Paul Quigley at 540/231-9090 or pquigley@vt.edu during regular business hours at least 10 business days prior to the event.

Please note: All times are U.S. Eastern.