Civil War Sesquicentennial Inspires Summer Lectures

Historic Deerfield to Present "Legends of the Civil War" Series July 21, 28, and August 4

Just 150 years ago the United States was plunged into the horrific internal conflict known as the Civil War.  In commemoration of this solemn occasion, Historic Deerfield will offer a 2011 Summer Lecture Series titled "Legends of the Civil War." Presentations will take place on July 21, 28, and August 4 at 7:30 p.m. in the Small Auditorium at Deerfield Academy

"The stories surrounding the Civil War, great and small, are all compelling when told at the human level," said Philip Zea, President, Historic Deerfield.  "That's exactly what we want to undertake with this new series, the saga told small."

John Stauffer,Chair of the History of American Civilization and Professor of English and African and African American Studies at Harvard University, will give the first of the

John Stauffer

three lectures on July 21, titled "GIANTS:  The Parallel Lives of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln."   Stauffer is the author or editor of eight books, including two bestsellers.  He has won several book prizes, including the Frederick Douglass Prize and a Boston Author's Club Award; and his essays and reviews have appeared in Time Magazine, the Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and the Washington Post.

The second lecture will feature William N. Hosley, independent historian and museum consultant with Terra Firma Northeast, speaking about "John Brown: The Connecticut Roots of an American Legend" on July 28.  Hosley is author of Colt: The Making of An American Legend.  He also organized the

William N. Hosley

exhibition The Great River: Art and Society of the Connecticut Valley, 1635-1820, along withcontributing to the accompanying publication of the same name.  He has an extensive background as a curator, collector, preservationist, educator, museum director and trustee. 

Finally, James L. Swanson, author of Bloody Crimes: The Chase for Jefferson Davis and the Death Pageant for Lincoln's Corpse, and Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer, will deliver a lecture titled "Lincoln, Booth and Davis: In Myth and Memory" on August 4.  In 2009 Patricia Cornwell, in Newsweek magazine, named Manhunt and In Cold Blood the two best non-fiction crime books of all time. In 2006, Entertainment Weekly magazine named Manhunt one of the ten best books of the year.  Born on Lincoln's birthday, Swanson has degrees in history from The University of Chicago, where he was a student of John Hope Franklin, and in law from the University of California, Los Angeles.  He has held a number

James L. Swanson

of government and think-tank posts in Washington, D.C., including at the United States Department of Justice. He serves on the advisory council of the Ford's Theatre Society.  His other books include the acclaimed photographic history Lincoln's Assassins: Their Trial and Execution, as well as Chasing Lincoln's Killer, an adaptation of Manhunt for young readers.  His lecture is sponsored by Bank of America.

All lectures during the Summer Lecture Series will be held in the Small Auditorium in Kendall Hall at Deerfield Academy, and are free and open to the public.   For more information please call 413-775-7214, or visit www.historic-deerfield.org.