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Full-Text Articles in Arts and Humanities
The Things We Remember: Interpreting The Virginia Memorial, Olivia Ortman
The Things We Remember: Interpreting The Virginia Memorial, Olivia Ortman
The Gettysburg Compiler: On the Front Lines of History
When I was in high school, I read The Things They Carried for my English class. It is a fiction book about the Vietnam War written by a Vietnam veteran. The author, Tim O’Brien, had the life experiences to write an autobiography based on true events, but he chose fiction as his vehicle. He explains this choice in one of the chapters in his book. O’Brien stated that, in an ironic way, fiction allowed him to share more truth than reality. His made-up stories allowed him to create the feelings and meanings of the war that his real experiences couldn’t …
Warriors Of Bronze: The Virginia Monument And Remembrance Day, Zachary A. Wesley
Warriors Of Bronze: The Virginia Monument And Remembrance Day, Zachary A. Wesley
The Gettysburg Compiler: On the Front Lines of History
Memory is a peculiar thing. To recall it is to remember, and there are two days dedicated to this activity in mid-November in Gettysburg. On November 18 and 19, reenactors and keynote speakers gather here to honor the sacrifices of millions of soldiers and sailors during the American Civil War. November 19 rings throughout the history of oration as the date of Lincoln’s famous Gettysburg Address, itself an exercise in remembrance. The recent Remembrance and Dedication Days have encouraged me to think of my work on the Virginia Monument Wayside Project in light of the celebrations. Just as much as …
Improving The Present By Studying The Past: Killed At Gettysburg Remembers O’Rorke And Phelps, Ryan D. Bilger
Improving The Present By Studying The Past: Killed At Gettysburg Remembers O’Rorke And Phelps, Ryan D. Bilger
The Gettysburg Compiler: On the Front Lines of History
This semester, I have had the honor of working on the Civil War Institute’s Killed at Gettysburg project, hosted at killedatgettysburg.org. The project seeks to document the lives and legacies of soldiers who died during the three days of fighting in July 1863. I am happy to be contributing to Killed at Gettysburg again, as I strongly connected with the project when I worked on it for Dr. Carmichael’s Gettysburg class last semester. [excerpt]
Remembrance Day: History, Memory And The 20th Maine, Savannah A. Labbe
Remembrance Day: History, Memory And The 20th Maine, Savannah A. Labbe
The Gettysburg Compiler: On the Front Lines of History
Every November, on the Saturday closest to the 19th, the town of Gettysburg celebrates Remembrance Day. This day is held in memory of those who fought and died at the Battle of Gettysburg and during the Civil War as a whole. On November 19th, crowds gather to celebrate Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address and his dedication of the Gettysburg National Cemetery. These events pose a few very important questions: why do we still remember the Civil War in this manner? Why do we find it so important to have an entire day dedicated just to Civil War soldiers? Why does Civil War …
Finding Meaning In The Flag: Furl That Banner, Olivia Ortman
Finding Meaning In The Flag: Furl That Banner, Olivia Ortman
The Gettysburg Compiler: On the Front Lines of History
Hello again, readers. I hope you enjoyed the summer and are now as eager as I am to jump back into our conversation about the Confederate flag. Although I spent the summer at Minute Man NHP, the Civil War was never far from my mind. Even in a northern park dedicated to the American Revolution, I still heard a lot about the Confederate monument debates, and as I spoke with visitors who were following this topic in the news, I was reminded of a similar debate several years ago concerning the Confederate flag. [excerpt]
Bearing The Battle, Binding The Wounds, Kaylyn L. Sawyer
Bearing The Battle, Binding The Wounds, Kaylyn L. Sawyer
The Gettysburg Compiler: On the Front Lines of History
When I arrived at Appomattox Court House National Historical Park for my summer 2016 internship orientation, I introduced myself as being from Yorktown, VA. The ranger quipped “you must have a thing for surrender towns.” I hadn’t really thought about it, but I suppose I do. I’ve lived in and around historic towns my entire life. I was born in Richmond, graduated high school in Yorktown, attended college in Gettysburg, and completed internships in New Market, Appomattox, and in the Hampton Roads area. I never seem to be far from a battlefield or a battle town, physically or emotionally. I …
Fredericksburg’S Gray Angel: Truth Or Utility?, Jonathan G. Danchik
Fredericksburg’S Gray Angel: Truth Or Utility?, Jonathan G. Danchik
The Gettysburg Compiler: On the Front Lines of History
As with other battles, the Battle of Fredericksburg in 1862 yielded shocking results. Homes were destroyed, thousands died, and military doctrine was challenged and changed. One particular story, however, has emerged from Fredericksburg to represent a different narrative, one of compassion. The actions of a 20-year-old Confederate sergeant named Richard Rowland Kirkland are enshrined in stone at the end of Fredericksburg’s infamous “Sunken Road.”
Confederate Memory, Olivia Ortman
Confederate Memory, Olivia Ortman
The Gettysburg Compiler: On the Front Lines of History
This year as a CWI Fellow, I’ve been doing a lot of research and thinking on Civil War memory, specifically that of Confederate memory. When doing this work, the question at the back of my mind is always: How should monuments, symbols, and other examples of Confederate memory be handled? This is a very difficult question, so up until now, I’ve left it alone, knowing that there would come a time in the future that I would sit down and wrestle with my conflicting opinions on the matter. A couple days ago, the Civil War Era Studies Department here at …
The Visual And Material Culture Of 1916 Commemorative Exhibitions, Siobhan Doyle
The Visual And Material Culture Of 1916 Commemorative Exhibitions, Siobhan Doyle
Conference papers
My doctoral research concerns the material and visual culture of modern Ireland with particular focus upon the role of exhibition display in commemoration and collective memory. Like many countries, Ireland has a chaotic past which results in challenges for museums in presenting history to satisfy the education and expectation of both national and transnational audiences. The Easter Rising of 1916 is the pivotal event in the creation of the modern Irish state and is widely recognised as a historical event upon which the cultural identity of Ireland is founded and consolidated. My research examines the challenges of displaying death and …
The Conflicting Conflict: Memorialization And Memory Of The Great War, Danielle E. Jones
The Conflicting Conflict: Memorialization And Memory Of The Great War, Danielle E. Jones
The Gettysburg Compiler: On the Front Lines of History
July 1st through 3rd, 2013 marked the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg. There were an estimated 300,000 to 500,000 visitors to the national park, including as many as 10,000 reenactors. The Civil War sesquicentennial was commemorated from the very beginning, and ended with a reenactment in Appomattox that saw over 6,000 people visit to re-live the end of the American Civil War. On April 9th, bells across the nation, including at Gettysburg College, tolled for 4 minutes to honor the four years the war raged on. Plans were started for the anniversary almost a decade in advance and …
Appomattox: 152 Years Later, Jonathan Tracey
Appomattox: 152 Years Later, Jonathan Tracey
The Gettysburg Compiler: On the Front Lines of History
Just over a week ago was the 152nd anniversary of General Lee’s surrender at Appomattox Court House. Although that number may not be as big a deal as the 150th anniversary a few years ago, there was something else special about this year. For only the seventh time since 1865, April 9th fell on Palm Sunday, just as it did on the day that Grant and Lee met in the McLean House. Not only was I lucky enough to attend this commemoration, but I was able to revisit the job I held over the summer by volunteering that weekend. Arriving …
Finding Meaning In The Flag: Ex-Slaves And Newsies, Olivia Ortman
Finding Meaning In The Flag: Ex-Slaves And Newsies, Olivia Ortman
The Gettysburg Compiler: On the Front Lines of History
Thus far we’ve talked about predominately white Union and Confederate views of the Confederate flag, so for my last piece on perspectives during the war I want to talk about the views of African Americans. For African Americans, especially, the Civil War was tightly intertwined with the matter of slavery. They realized that the outcome of the war would be instrumental in determining the fate of slavery as an institution and believed that a Confederate victory would be detrimental to the prospects of their freedom. If Southerners had their way, slavery would likely never die.
Paintings Of War, Museums Of Memory, Laura G. Waters
Paintings Of War, Museums Of Memory, Laura G. Waters
Student Publications
This paper examines the artists sent to the Western Front under Britain’s official war artists initiative. The government sought to utilize artwork for propagandistic purposes, and to foster emotional connection between civilian and soldier. However, the growth of the initiative to include some ninety artists complicated this. The experiences of the artists and the truths revealed to them by the conflict were vastly different, and examination of them as a whole does little to elucidate the character of the war itself. What this paper seeks to do, therefore, is examine three artists - Sir William Orpen, Lieutenant Paul Nash, and …
Interpreting A Commemorative Landscape: The Eleventh Corps And Cemetery Hill, Bradley J. Klustner
Interpreting A Commemorative Landscape: The Eleventh Corps And Cemetery Hill, Bradley J. Klustner
Student Publications
An analysis of the memorialization of the land on and around Cemetery Hill on the Gettysburg battlefield as it pertained to the Union Eleventh Corps.
The Centennial Of The Great War, Thomas J. Crafa
The Centennial Of The Great War, Thomas J. Crafa
Student Publications
A personal reflection on the centennial of America's entry into The Great War.
Guilt, Shame, And The Family Narrative: The Communicative Memory From Families Of Nazi Perpetrators And Its Impact On The Social Collective, Megan E. Heyer
Guilt, Shame, And The Family Narrative: The Communicative Memory From Families Of Nazi Perpetrators And Its Impact On The Social Collective, Megan E. Heyer
Student Publications
This work examines the generational relationships of the families of Nazi perpetrators and how the experiences of these Nazi perpetrators have been altered through the generations, and the impact of these alterations on one's understanding of the history of World War II.
The Legacy Of “Old Osawatomie”: John Brown In Art And Memory, Ryan Bilger
The Legacy Of “Old Osawatomie”: John Brown In Art And Memory, Ryan Bilger
The Gettysburg Compiler: On the Front Lines of History
This, of course, is no deity, but rather John Brown, a man who received many appellations both during and after his lifetime. Abolitionist. Murderer. Freedom fighter. Terrorist. And this picture is known as Tragic Prelude, painted by the American regionalist artist John Steuart Curry. A native of Kansas, Curry received a commission from Governor Walter Huxman in the late 1930s to paint a series of murals depicting the state’s history for the Kansas State Capitol Building. Other scenes in the mural cycle included depictions of the explorer Francisco Coronado and Padre Padilla, but the most recent scene, as well …
Bringing The Past Into The Present: Joshua Chamberlain’S Legacy In Maine, Savannah Labbe
Bringing The Past Into The Present: Joshua Chamberlain’S Legacy In Maine, Savannah Labbe
The Gettysburg Compiler: On the Front Lines of History
In recent years Maine’s role in the Civil War—especially in the Battle of Gettysburg—has gained increased renown due in part to movies and books such as Gettysburg and Michael Shaara’s The Killer Angels. Maine’s fame has grown mostly due to one famous figure: Joshua Chamberlain. Chamberlain has become almost a legend in Maine, a historical figure that most Mainers are familiar with and are proud of. His legacy can still be felt in the state today and provides a way for people from Maine to connect with the past. History is often the cause of boredom for many, but …
Civil Rights Gone Wrong: Racial Nostalgia, Historical Memory, And The Boston Busing Crisis In Contemporary Children’S Literature, Lynnell L. Thomas
Civil Rights Gone Wrong: Racial Nostalgia, Historical Memory, And The Boston Busing Crisis In Contemporary Children’S Literature, Lynnell L. Thomas
American Studies Faculty Publication Series
On May 14, 2014, three white Boston city councilors refused to vote to approve a resolution honoring the sixtieth anniversary of Brown v. the Board of Education because, as one remarked, “I didn’t want to get into a debate regarding forced busing in Boston.” Against the recent national proliferation of celebrations of civil rights milestones and legislation, the controversy surrounding the fortieth anniversary of the court decision that mandated busing to desegregate Boston public schools speaks volumes about the historical memory of Boston’s civil rights movement. Two highly acclaimed contemporary works of children’s literature set during or inspired by Boston’s …