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Category: Civil War

Image of an ornate clock showing 2:05 with sculpted male figures sitting on each side of the clock face

InRetrospect: November Blogging Edition

Posted by: Erin Allen

The Library of Congress blogosphere was a cornucopia of posts on special holidays and  more. Here is just a taste. In the Muse: Performing Arts Blog #Britten100: Benjamin Britten & Peter Pears at the Library November 22  marked the hundredth birthday of British composer Benjamin Britten. Inside Adams: Science, Technology & Business Civil War Thanksgiving …

Image of an ornate clock showing 2:05 with sculpted male figures sitting on each side of the clock face

Inquiring Minds: Commemorating the Gettysburg Address with Author Jonathan Hennessey

Posted by: Erin Allen

A 10-year veteran of the film and television production industry, Jonathan Hennessey is a Los Angeles-based writer. Hennessey is the author of “The United States Constitution: A Graphic Adaptation,” on which he collaborated with illustrator Aaron McConnell. In their newest work, “The Gettysburg Address: A Graphic Adaptation,” the duo commemorate the 150th anniversary of this …

Image of an ornate clock showing 2:05 with sculpted male figures sitting on each side of the clock face

Recite the Gettysburg Address

Posted by: Erin Allen

On Nov. 19, 1862 1863, Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address at the dedication of the cemetery at the Civil War battlefield. One of the most famous speeches in American history, the speech is recognized as a literary masterpiece. In three short paragraphs—some 270 words—Lincoln proclaimed the principles upon which the nation was founded, honored …

Image of an ornate clock showing 2:05 with sculpted male figures sitting on each side of the clock face

A Congressional Legacy: The Peter Force Library

Posted by: Erin Allen

Purchased through an act of Congress in 1867, the Peter Force Library became the foundation of the Library’s Americana collections.  As the nation sought to reconstruct the Union after the Civil War, so, too, did the Library of Congress seek to build a collection that documented fully America’s history. At the time, the nearly 100,000 volumes …

Image of an ornate clock showing 2:05 with sculpted male figures sitting on each side of the clock face

Inquiring Minds: An Interview with Author Jason Emerson

Posted by: Erin Allen

Jason Emerson is a journalist and an independent historian who has been researching and writing about the Lincoln family for nearly 20 years. He is a former National Park Service park ranger at the Lincoln Home National Historic Site in Springfield, Ill. His previous books include “The Madness of Mary Lincoln,” “Lincoln the Inventor” and …

Image of an ornate clock showing 2:05 with sculpted male figures sitting on each side of the clock face

Trending: Juneteenth

Posted by: Erin Allen

More than 40 states celebrate the day that Texans learned of Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. The news came late—two-and-a-half years late—and in the form of an official pronouncement. Known as “General Order No. 3,” the edict was delivered by U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger from the balcony of a mansion in Galveston, Texas on June …

Image of an ornate clock showing 2:05 with sculpted male figures sitting on each side of the clock face

InRetrospect: May Blogging Edition

Posted by: Erin Allen

The Library of Congress blogosphere was blooming with great posts. Here are a selection. In the Muse: Performing Arts Blog To Richard Wagner on His 200th Birthday: A Textilian Tale Retold Letters reveal insight into the composer’s private life. Inside Adams: Science, Technology & Business The Aeronauts Jennifer Harbster writes about Civil War aeronautics. In …

Image of an ornate clock showing 2:05 with sculpted male figures sitting on each side of the clock face

Civil War Chic

Posted by: Erin Allen

When looking at some clothing trends of today, with their bright colors and patterns, daring necklines, couture price tags and sometimes general wackiness, it’s hard to imagine how far fashion has actually come. According to Mary D. Doering, an heirloom-clothing collector, despite the trauma imposed by the Civil War, the mid-19th century witnessed the development …