Tony Horwitz and Sheldon Hackney: John Brown's Raid and the Origin of the Civil War

On Wednesday, December 14th at 7pm, please join us as we host a discussion of the significance of the 1859 bloody raid on the arsenal at Harper’s Ferry by anti-slavery activist John Brown and a small group of his followers. Leading the discussion will be Pulitzer Prize winning author and Island resident Tony Horwitz and noted historian Sheldon Hackney, David Boies Professor of History, Emeritus and retired president of the University of Pennsylvania.

Mr. Horwitz’s book Midnight Rising: John Brown and the Raid that Sparked the Civil War was published in October and currently sits on many bestseller lists. The evening’s program will not a be a lecture but a moderated discussion with the audience, so to get the most of out of the event, participants should have at least some familiarity with the history of the raid and its aftermath. (Reading Horwitz’s book would be a great way to prepare for the discussion. Several copies of Midnight Rising are at the library, and it’s available for sale at Bunch of Grapes bookstore.) Refreshments and a book signing will follow the discussion. Please join us for what is certain to be an evening of stimulating conversation.

This program kicks off six months of programs at the library related to the 150th anniversary of the Civil War and Emancipation. At the heart of the programming is a seminar series sponsored by the American Library Association and the National Endowment for the Humanities, Let’s Talk About it Series, entitled “Let’s Talk About It: Making Sense of the American Civil War”. The “Let’s Talk About It” format was developed by the ALA and NEH to promote the use of public libraries as centers of education, communication among citizens, and exploration of the ideas of what America is all about. The “Let’s Talk About It” program will also feature Dr. Hackney as Program Scholar and discussion leader.

"Let’s Talk About It: Making Sense of the American Civil War", has been made possible through a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the American Library Association. http://www.vhlibrary.org/civilwar.shtml#series