Even 150 years after the end of the Civil War, research continues to reveal new information about the nation's deadliest war. A 2012 study increased the death toll of the Civil War to 750,000, and the professor behind that discovery is featured in a free lecture series this spring at the University of North Georgia (UNG).<br />
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"The Civil War had a significant impact on U.S. history and continues to generate interest for both scholars and the general public," said Dr. Deanna Gillespie, assistant professor of history at UNG who is organizing the series. "The recent work by Dr. J. David Hacker recalculates the number killed during the war and forces a reassessment of the human cost of the war. Dr. Hacker's work has gained significant national and international attention."<br />
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The three-part lecture series, "Civil War at 150," begins Feb. 12 and is sponsored by UNG's Department of History, Anthropology, and Philosophy; all events are free and open to the public. Hacker, an associate professor of history at the University of Minnesota, will conclude the series on April 9, the anniversary of the war's end, with his presentation, "The Human Cost of the American Civil War."<br />
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The series' first lecture, "How the Civil War Impacted Georgia, and How Georgia Impacted the Civil War," is set for Feb. 12. The program features Dr. John Inscoe, the Albert B. Saye Professor of History at the University of Georgia. Inscoe's examination of the war in Georgia relates broader themes of the series to the area that is most familiar to local audiences, Gillespie said.<br />
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The second lecture in the series, "UNG Historians Reflect on the Civil War," is scheduled for March 12 and will feature panelists Dr. George Justice, Dr. Clay Ouzts, Dr. Jennifer Smith, and Dr. Ben Wynne, all UNG history faculty. Glen Kyle, executive director of the Northeast Georgia History Center and a faculty member at UNG, will facilitate the panel.<br />
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"For the lecture series, we wanted to highlight multiple perspectives and recent scholarship on the impact of the Civil War," Gillespie said. "Our series brings nationally recognized scholars to northeastern Georgia and spotlights faculty members of UNG's Department of History, Anthropology, and Philosophy."<br />
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All programs will be in the Cleveland Ballroom in the Martha T. Nesbitt Building on UNG's Gainesville Campus. Programs begin at 6 p.m. and a reception will be held at 5:30 p.m. before each program.<br />
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The project is supported by a grant from the Georgia Humanities Council and the National Endowment for the Humanities and through appropriations from the Georgia General Assembly. Additional support is provided by the Northeast Georgia History Center in Gainesville and UNG partners, including the College of Arts and Letters; the Department of History, Anthropology, and Philosophy; the Center for Teaching, Learning, and Leadership
