Civil War

09 23, 2023

Buffalo Soldiers, Bonita Canyon & President James A. Garfield

By |2023-09-14T10:10:49-04:00September 23, 2023|

Discover the connection between the famous Buffalo Soldiers, Arizona’s Bonita Canyon, and Mentor’s own President James A. Garfield! Sharon Kennedy – an author and historian from Arizona – shares the story of the 10-foot monument in Bonita Canyon that soldiers from the 10th cavalry erected after President Garfield was assassinated in 1881.

This talk is part of a monthly series on the leaders and legacies of the Civil War that is hosted by the James A. Garfield National Historic Site and Mentor Public Library. Several talks in this series can be viewed online in their entirety including:

For those interested in the Civil War, we’re hosting the first of two lectures about the war’s pivotal year, 1863, at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 3, at our Main Branch. The program is free to attend. Due to limited space, registration is required. Sign up online or call us at 440-255-8811 ext. 1.

06 21, 2023

Mapping the Civil War: The Ethics & Methodology of Civil War Archaeology

By |2023-06-14T14:51:11-04:00June 21, 2023|

Ranger Alex from James A. Garfield National Historic Site explains the ethics, legalities, and methods used while excavating Civil War sites.

Our Civil War series continues at noon on July 12 with a look at the Battle of Gettysburg.

By the way, if you’re interested in Civil War history, several talks in this series can be viewed online in their entirety, including:

05 20, 2023

How Did the United States Go from a Civil War to an Empire?

By |2023-05-10T16:57:45-04:00May 20, 2023|

Explore American foreign policy after the Civil War.

Ranger Alan Gephardt from the James A. Garfield National Historic Site explains how the vision of Secretary of State William H. Seward guided more than 30 years of international diplomacy. Discover how a rivalry with England and economic interests in Asia led to ports (and more) in Hawaii and Samoa, as well as American intercession in Venezuela.

The Civil War series continues on June 14 with a presentation exploring the methodology of historical archaeology and GIS mapping of Civil War sites.

By the way, if you’re interested in Civil War history, several talks in this series can be viewed online in their entirety, including:

04 15, 2023

Explore the History of the First Presidential Memorial Library

By |2023-04-12T16:23:16-04:00April 15, 2023|

Discover how Lucretia Rudolph Garfield preserved the legacy of her husband, President James A. Garfield, and created the first presidential memorial library. After her husband was assassinated, Lucretia preserved President Garfield’s vast correspondence in her memory room, which set the precedent for the modern presidential library system. The story is told by Lucretia herself – as portrayed by Debbie Weinkamer, the lead volunteer at James A. Garfield National Historic Site.

The next talk in the Civil War series looks at American foreign policy during the war. It’s scheduled for noon on Wednesday, May 10.

For more from Lucretia Garfield:

03 15, 2023

How the US Civil War Changed Fashion

By |2023-03-08T15:47:02-05:00March 15, 2023|

Ranger Rebecca Grimke from James A. Garfield National Historic Site explains what fashion looked like before the Civil War and how the war changed it. At least one of these changes still affects the fashion world today!

Our Civil War series with the Garfield National Historic Site continues at noon on Wednesday, April 12, at our Main Branch. Lucretia Garfield (as portrayed by Debbie Weinkamer) will explain how her efforts to preserve her husband’s correspondence led to the creation of the first presidential library. You can sign up online for the program or call us at 440-255-8811 ext. 1.

By the way, if you’re interested in Civil War history, several talks in this series can be viewed online in their entirety, including:

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