History Forum to Address American Civil War Moral Dilemmas

The moral struggle of fighting for freedom during the American Civil War will be the focus of the annual History Forum lecture at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 9, in the Power Center Ballroom.

The American Civil War: Conflicting Views of Faith and Freedom will be presented by Barbara Franco, president and executive director at Gettysburg Seminary Ridge Museum since 2012.

“Barbara has been a key figure in public history in Pennsylvania and other states,” said Dr. Michael Cahall, director of this year’s History Forum and assistant professor of history. “She has a breadth and depth of experience that make her almost uniquely qualified in the field.”

In her lecture, Franco will discuss the Gettysburg Seminary Ridge Museum’s current exhibit and its focus on issues of faith and freedom in the 19th century. According to Cahall, Franco will explore how the religious innovation and change wrought by the Second Great Awakening influenced thinking about moral issues of war and slavery, and how Americans of all faiths who met at Gettysburg grappled not only with life and death, but with divergent ideas of faith and freedom that would shape the nation’s future. By addressing religious beliefs, she suggests new ways for historians and the public to understand and interpret Civil War history.

Previously, Franco served in curatorial and administrative positions at the Munson-Williams Procter Institute in Utica, N.Y.; the Museum of Our National Heritage in Lexington, Mass.; and The Historical Society of Washington, D.C. She also served as executive director of the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission from 2004 to 2011. The state-wide agency is responsible for the state archives, the state museum, the state historic preservation office and 25 museums and historic sites around Pennsylvania.

The Department of History has hosted the History Forum for more than four decades, addressing topics of civic and academic interest.

The forum is free and open to the public, and registration is not required. A reception will precede the lecture at 6 p.m. in the Shepperson Suite. For more information, call the history department at 412.396.6470.