The Future of the Civil War: March 14-16 in Gettysburg

The folks at the Civil War Institute at Gettysburg College, including Jill Ogiline Titus, have put together a major conference addressing questions at the intersection of Civil War History and Public History.  I hope I can attend. I hope you can attend.  I hope to see you there. I hope to bring students with me.  I hope to blog the conference.  (That's a lot of "hopes").

Jill writes:

[This conference will be] framed around a series of conversations about the practical and intellectual challenges of Civil War history...The conversational format draws together Civil War historians working in many different settings, including colleges and universities, National Park Service sites, museums, historic preservation agencies, consulting firms and K-12 classrooms. Talking across lines that often divide us, we will explore issues that are vital to the ways we engage audiences, whether they be public, student, or scholarly, and the ways we will continue to do so moving forward from the sesquicentennial.  The conference will feature over 150 speakers, including James McPherson, Mark Smith, Dwight Pitcaithley, Margaret Creighton, Thomas Brown, Scott Hartwig, John Coski, Ed Linenthal, and Megan Kate Nelson, as well as a variety of innovative field experience programs.

Jill also informed me that the organizers are offering a discounted registration rate of $75 for students, and have made arrangements with several local hotels to offer rooms at a deeply discounted rate. 

And here is one more plug:

Are you interested in the future of Civil War history? Would you like to hike Pickett’s Charge field with James McPherson, explore civilian stories downtown Gettysburg with Margaret Creighton, or hear David Blight discuss memory of the war? Are you intrigued by the relationship between historians and reenactors, or the explosion of new scholarship on emancipation? Would you like to join in conversation about the environmental history of the Civil War, the future of battlefield preservation, or efforts to internationalize our understanding of the war? If so, register today for the March 2013 The Future of Civil War History conference, co-sponsored by Gettysburg National Military Park and Gettysburg College.

This highly conversational three-day program, which will be held at Gettysburg College from March 14-16, 2013, will devote itself to exploring new ways the historical community can make the Civil War past more engaging, more accessible, and more usable to public audiences as we look beyond the 150^th commemorations and to the future of Civil War history. Built around a wide variety of panels, presentations, working groups and field experiences, The Future of Civil War History will feature over 150 speakers, including James McPherson, Mark Smith, Nina Silber, Stephen Berry, Brooks Simpson, Tiya Miles, John Coski, Megan Kate Nelson, and Karen Cox. 

Sessions include:

How Can Civil War Sites Offer a Usable Past During a Time of War?

Reinterpreting Civil War Monuments

Debating Battlefield Rehabilitation

New Media and the Future of Civil War History

Building a Dialogue Among Museum Professionals, Academics, and Civil War Re-enactors

Sites of Violence: New Approaches to Conflict Tourism

Slavery and Contraband History at Civil War Sites

Discussing Gender at Civil War Sites

Interactive History: Creating a Gaming Experience at Civil War Sites

Space is limited, so those planning to attend are strongly encouraged to register by January 15. For registration information and a draft program, please visit the conference website: http://www.cwfuture150.com. Questions? Email civilwar@gettysburg.edu.