Lincoln and the South

Thursday through Saturday, March 12–14, 2009 at the Jepson Alumni Center
A conference presented by the American Civil War Center at Historic Tredegar and hosted by the University of Richmond and the Jepson School of Leadership Studies

One of the most dynamic relationships in American history has been that of Lincoln and the South. Rarely has the election of one man to the nation’s presidency stirred such passion or led to such momentous consequences. The 1860 presidential election platform of Lincoln’s emergent Republicans was so detested in the South that the party did not even have a ticket in 10 southern states.

Internationally-recognized scholars from across the country will convene in Richmond to discuss the genesis of the region’s antipathy for the “rail splitter,” the evolution of his policy of Emancipation, his characterization by the South over the course of the war, and, perhaps most important, how southerners have wrestled with Lincoln’s legacy since his assassination.

Conference highlights include panel discussions that encourage audience interaction, an affinity breakfast for educators, a reception at the American Civil War Center at Historic Tredegar, and a tour of the signature exhibit In the Cause of Liberty. A post-conference walking tour of Richmond—following in the footsteps of Lincoln when he visited the Confederate capital soon after its fall—will also be offered.

Lincoln and the South is the second in a series of biennial conferences offered by the American Civil War Center at Historic Tredegar. The topics covered will emphasize the legacies of the Civil War that still affect the nation today.

The American Civil War Center at Historic Tredegar tells the whole story of the conflict that still shapes our nation. The Center explores the war’s causes, course, and legacies through artifacts, media, and programs. The museum’s approach is to explore this American story from three essential perspectives—Union, Confederate, and African American. The hope is that students and visitors to its exhibitions will discover in the Center a new way of looking at our history that explains much about who we are as Americans today.