In honor of the 150th anniversary of President Abraham Lincoln’s Jan. 1, 1863 Emancipation Proclamation, Lawrence University presents a series of Civil War-related events. All are free and open to the public.
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Monday, Jan. 7, 8 p.m., Harper Hall. Lawrence Associate Professor of English Faith Barrett discusses the origins of Julia Ward Howe’s Civil War classic “The Battle Hymn of the Republic.” Following the presentation, a short vocal concert celebrating African-American and Civil War-era music will be performed by 2007 Lawrence graduates Paris Brown and Erica Hamilton and sophomore Brienne Colston. |
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Tuesday, Jan. 8, 4:30 p.m., Mudd Library, 1st floor, south end. Lawrence archivist Erin Dix presents “Lawrence in the Civil War,” an exploration of the ways in which Lawrence faculty and students participated on the front lines and coped with the effects of the war at home. At the start of the Civil War, Lawrence was a mere 14 years old and like other academic institutions at the time, was greatly affected by the war. |
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Wednesday Jan. 9, 8 p.m., Harper Hall. Bill Carrothers, Lawrence lecturer in music and jazz pianist, presents “Civil War Diaries,” a performance of period music from the Civil War era, reinterpreted as solo piano improvisations. |
Lawrence is currently hosting a traveling exhibition that examines how President Abraham Lincoln used the U.S. Constitution to confront three intertwined crises of the Civil War: the secession of Southern states, slavery and wartime civil liberties.
The 1,000-square-foot exhibit, “Lincoln: The Constitution and the Civil War,” is displayed on the second floor of Lawrence’s Seeley G. Mudd Library until Feb. 8. The exhibition is free and open to the public.
The exhibition is composed of informative panels featuring photographic reproductions of original documents, including the Emancipation Proclamation, a draft of Lincoln’s first inaugural speech and the Thirteenth Amendment. It was organized by the National Constitution Center and the American Library Association Public Programs Office and is supported by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
About Lawrence University
Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a nationally recognized conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. It was selected for inclusion in the Fiske Guide to Colleges 2013 and the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.” Individualized learning, the development of multiple interests and community engagement are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,500 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries. Follow Lawrence on Facebook.
