The Civil War Institute
The Institute hosts an annual summer conference on the Civil War, drawing over 300 people annually. Each year, the conference focuses on a different Civil War theme. Past themes have included the Battle of Gettysburg, the Battle of Fredericksburg, Robert E. Lee, the navy and the cavalry. The theme for 2008 is Abraham Lincoln, and falls during the 199th anniversary of his birth. While most participants live in Gettysburg College dorms during the week, local attendees can choose to forgo living expenses and commute each day. The conference, generally running from Sunday to Saturday, is usually held during the last week of June. Monday, Wednesday and Friday are lecture days, where participants attend morning, afternoon and night sessions with Civil War historians. Tuesday is reserved for a day-long tour to an area related to the conference's central theme. In past years, the conference has traveled to the Antietam National Battlefield, Fredericksburg, Virginia, Washington, D.C. and Petersburg, Virginia. Thursday generally consists of half-day tours of the Gettysburg National Battlefield in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
Lecturers and tour guides are chosen for recent scholarship and expertise on the conference's central theme. The Institute has hosted a number of Lincoln Prize and Pulitzer Prize-winning authors, including James M. McPherson, Ken Burns, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Allen C. Guelzo, Richard Carwardine, and others. Ed Bearss, Chief Historian Emeritus of the National Park Service, has been providing tours at the conference for several years.
The 2009 conference will be the 27th Civil War Institute summer conference. Dr. Gabor Boritt is the Director of the Institute, while fellow Gettysburg College Professor Allen C. Guelzo serves as Associate Director.
Read more about this topic: Civil War Institute At Gettysburg College
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