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April programs celebrate U.S. history Jackson Community College will celebrate U.S. History Month in April with several informational programs and workshops that are free and open to the community. The Reconstruction: the Second Civil War: Part 1 "Revolution." After the Civil War, opposing forces were gathering. Some Americans saw Reconstruction as a chance to build a new nation out of the ashes of war and slavery. Others vowed to wage a new war to protect their way of life, and a racial order they believed ordained by God. Lincoln saw the problem with agonizing clarity. Bitter enemies, North and South, had to be reconciled. And four million former slaves had to be brought into the life of a nation that had ignored them for centuries. In some ways, it was harder than winning the war. This program will be presented at noon, April 7, Federer Room A, Potter Center. The Reconstruction: the Second Civil War: Part 2 "Retreat." As they built a bridge from slavery into freedom in these early years, African Americans learned for themselves that genuine psychological freedom is not granted by others. In March 1867, two years after the end of the Civil War, the United States Congress decided to bring racial equality to the South. Under Congress' new Radical Reconstruction plan, military rule would be imposed on the South. White state lawmakers would be swept from their seats. And the unthinkable, black men, many of them former slaves, would have the right to vote and run for office. "We have lost all hope of escaping the vengeance of the Northern people," a senator wrote "and are preparing for the worst." This program will be presented at noon, April 14, Bert Walker Hall Room 101. "Glory": This is truly one of the best feature films made about the Civil War. "Glory" is also one of the few theatrical films to depict the participation of African American soldiers in Civil War. The training and battle experience of the all-black 54th Regiment of the Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry leads them to their final assault on Fort Wagner. At this historic battle, their heroic bravery turned bitter defeat into a symbolic victory that brought recognition to black soldiers and turned the tide of the war. This movie will be presented at 1 p.m., April 12, Federer Room A, Potter Center. The Book Club @ JCC: Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier: A wounded Civil War soldier walks away from the ravages of the war and back home to his prewar sweetheart, Ada. Inman's odyssey through the devastated landscape of the soon to be defeated South interweaves with Ada's struggle to revive her father's farm, with the help of an intrepid young drifter named Ruby. As their long separated lives begin to converge at the close of the war, Inman and Ada confront the vastly transformed world that's left behind. This book will be reviewed at 2 p.m., April 15, Federer Room A, Potter Center. Robert E. Lee: "What a cruel thing is war: to separate and destroy families and friends, and mar the purest joys and happiness God has granted us in this world; to fill our hearts with hatred instead of love for our neighbors, and to devastate the fair face of this beautiful world." Robert E. Lee is arguably the greatest military commander of all time. Graduating at the top of his class from West Point, he rose through the military ranks to Colonel by the outbreak of the Civil War. When war was declared, he decided that loyalty to his state came before his nation, and joined the confederate forces. Trace his brilliant campaigns -- still studied for their tactics in military academies worldwide -- and know the personal tragedies that ultimately defeated the "Marble Man." Interviews with military experts, Civil War historians and biographers offer insight into the career and life of this remarkable man. With excerpts from his writings and testimony from those who served and fought against him, this is the definitive portrait of the legendary, tragic figure at the heart of the Civil War. This program will be presented at noon April 21, Federer Room A, Potter Center. Abraham Lincoln Preserving the Union: "With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation's wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow and his orphan - to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace, among ourselves, and with all nations." Known to be honest, eloquent and courageous, he risked everything to save a young America from self-destruction, and paid the ultimate price. Learn the complete story of Abraham Lincoln, from the rustic childhood that forged his beliefs to the tough campaign that made him president. Historians examine the difficult leadership choices of his turbulent first term, as well as his bouts with depression and troubled marriage to Mary Todd. Experts untangle a web of murder and kidnapping plots to learn the truth about the complex conspiracy that made Lincoln an American martyr. This program will be presented at noon April 28, Bert Walker Room 101. Genealogy @ JCC: How to locate your Civil War Ancestors: More than 2.8 million men (and a few hundred women) served in the Union and Confederate armies during the Civil War. For Union army soldiers, there are three major records in the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) that provide information on military service; for Confederate army soldiers, there are two. How do you find records about your civil war ancestor? How do you find records of ancestors who where not serving in the Civil War? Karen Heard from the JCC Atkinson Library will present a free genealogy workshop to show you what records are available and what information you need in order to find them. Call the library at (517) 796-8622 to register for this workshop presented at 2 p.m., April 29 in Bert Walker Hall Room 101. -30- |
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