The Bradford County Historical Society will host a free program entitled "Deserter Country: Civil War Opposition in Pennsylvania" scheduled for Friday, October 21, 2011 at 6 p.m. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Although the event is free, participants are asked to register by calling 570-265-2240 or by email at info@bradfordhistory.com.
This lecture explores the widespread and sometimes violent opposition to the Civil War by people in the Appalachian lumber country of northern Pennsylvania. Many are unaware that this sparsely-settled region was home to divided communities that provided a safe haven for opponents of the war and deserters from the army, prompting federal officials to lead a military expedition in 1864.
We examine the social, political and economic factors that explain the antiwar opposition, much of which stemmed from the difficulties of Appalachian life. Timely themes are highlighted including the meanings and traditions of dissent in wartime, the debate over loyalty to the nation, the impact of partisan politics and the difficulties faced by the state in enforcing unpopular laws.
This program is presented by Robert Sandow, Associate Professor of History at Lock Haven University.
Robert M. Sandow grew up in the Laurel highlands of Southwestern Pennsylvania, where family trips to its famous battlefields sparked a lifelong passion for Civil War history. Sandow completed a Bachelor’s degree from Gettysburg College in 1992 before earning a Ph.D. in 2003 from the Richards Civil War Era Center at Penn State University.
His research specialties include the Northern home front during the Civil War, with particular interest in issues of dissent, partisan politics, and opposition. He is currently an Associate Professor of History at Lock Haven University, where he teaches classes on American History up to the Civil War, Military History, Modern Japanese History, and introductory courses on Public History and Museum Studies.
Dr. Sandow recently published a monograph entitled Deserter Country: Civil War Opposition in the Pennsylvania Appalachians, by Fordham University Press in April 2009.
This program is sponsored by the Pennsylvania Humanities Council and the National Endowment for the Humanities.
This event is held in the Great Room at the Bradford County Historical Society, located at 109 Pine Street, Towanda, PA. Free refreshments will be provided and the museum is open from 5:30 to 6:00 p.m.
The Bradford County Historical Society is a recipient agency of the Bradford County United Way. For more information about the society and its programming schedule, museum or research center, visit www.bradfordhistory.com or check out the Bradford County Historical Society Facebook page.
