The Trumbull Historical Society will run a summer camp that explores different periods in American history by focusing on a doll from the American Girl Collection. Continue reading
Was Civil War death toll over a million?
An article by a Connecticut College professor says a revised Civil War death toll would be even higher – perhaps over a million – if it included former slaves.
James Downs, associate professor of history at Connecticut College, criticizes Dr. J. David Hacker for not including blacks in his Civil War death count. Dr. Hacker of Binghamton University, SUNY, using the 1960 and 1870 censuses, completed a study that put the Civil War death toll at 750,000 but says it could be as high as 850,000. Continue reading
Excavation planned at historic Middletown site
The public is invited to tour the former site of a historic and once-prosperous African-American community in Middletown from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. this weekend while volunteers excavate the neighborhood in search of artifacts. Volunteers from African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E) Zion Church in Middletown and students of Wesleyan University will dig on April 14-15 and April 28-29, weather permitting, according to the Hartford Courant. Continue reading
Presentation on historic homes
The Brookfield town historian will talk about historic homes in Brookfield later this month. The presentation by town historian Laura Mancuso will include old photographs, and images from the 19th and 20th centuries as well as documented history on some vintage Brookfield homes, thus painting a fascinating picture of the community from the colonial and Victorian eras to the early 1950s. Continue reading
Music from the Civil War era will be performed in Branford
The Branford Folk Music Society will sponsor a program on Civil War era songs on Saturday, April 14. Dan Milner, a renowned ballad singer and folk song collector, will perform with Jeff Davis, one of America’s most respected collectors and interpreters of traditional music. Continue reading
Library to show classic film on famous Civil War chase
The Hagaman Memorial Library in East Haven will mark the 150th anniversary of the Civil War by showing the 1926 silent film classic “The General.”
The General referred to in the movie is a steam locomotive that had a key role in an actual event called the Andrews Raid. A new musical score has been composed for an orchestra which will be playing it live during the film. Both professional and student musicians will take part. Continue reading
State’s governor was a major supporter of Lincoln and the Union
Abraham Lincoln knew well what Connecticut today has largely forgotten: Its Civil War governor, William Alfred Buckingham, was one of the greatest leaders in the state’s long history. One of only four Union governors to serve throughout the entire Civil War, Buckingham proved an able, energetic administrator, a staunch and often eloquent opponent of slavery and a vital supporter of the Lincoln administration, according to an article in the Hartford Courant.
Historical society seeking nominations for historic preservation awards
The Greenwich Historical Society is calling for nominations for its 2012 Preservation Awards, which will honor individuals, organizations and projects for their contributions to the preservation of Greenwich’s historical resources. The project or activity must be of historical and/or architectural significance and demonstrate the aesthetic, cultural and/or economic benefits of preservation. Continue reading
Talk on threats to archaeological collections in Connecticut and world-wide
State archaeologist Nicholas Bellantoni will talk about threats to archaeologist collections both in Connecticut and world-wide on April 19. The threat to archaeological and anthropological collections is not just a Connecticut problem with artifacts discovered and discarded in attics. Continue reading
Civil War death toll even higher that previously believed
The death toll from the American Civil War was much larger than thought, new research shows. Under the long-held traditional belief, about 625,000 men died in the Civil War. But a new study by historian J David Hacker of Binghamton University, SUNY, shows that war casualties might have exceeded 850,000. Saying it could range from 617,877 to 851,066, the professor settled on figure of 750,000.
His findings were published in the December 2011 issue of Civil War History. The research “stands among the most consequential pieces ever to appear in this journal’s pages,” the journal states. Continue reading
