Historically Speaking 2.2 presents Dr. J. Brent Morris on the topic of the tumultuous times in the Palmetto State from the earliest days of the Civil War up to the Presidential election of 1876. As you may recall from your American history classes, Republican Rutherford B. Hayes vied for the position against Democratic nominee Samuel J. Tilden. Hayes won (after some shenanigans) and proceeded to dismantle Reconstruction in the former Confederate states.
Perhaps no other period of American history is reverberating stronger right now than the Reconstruction Era. Political divisiveness, disputes over who can vote and election results, and socio-economic disruptions caused great uncertainties then as now. It is a fascinating and little appreciated period of American history that deserves far more attention than it has traditionally received from the general public. And we are blessed to have one of Beaufort's own share his deep and vast knowledge of the period with us. Quite frankly, the BDC and BCHS would be hard pressed to find a better scholar to provide an overview of this critical period than Dr. Morris. He is one of the nation's foremost scholars on the topic.
He teaches, writes, and lectures on the histories of slavery and antislavery in America. He is Professor of History and Humanities Department Chair at the University of South Carolina Beaufort and Director of the USCB Institute for the Study of the Reconstruction Era. His book Oberlin, Hotbed of Abolitionism: College, Community, and the Fight for Freedom and Equality in Antebellum America was published in 2014, and won the Henry Howe Prize for outstanding historical monograph. He is also the author of Yes Lord I Know the Road: A Documentary History of African Americans in South Carolina, 1526-2008 (2017), A South Carolina Chronology (2020), and forthcoming books Dismal Freedom: A History of the Maroons of the Great Dismal Swamp, The Changing Palmetto State: A New History of South Carolina 1945-present (co-authored with Walter B. Edgar), and Reconstruction at 150: Reassessing the Revolutionary New Birth of Freedom (co-edited with Orville Vernon Burton).
His work has also published in the New York Times, the American Historical Review, Civil War History, the Journal of Southern History, the Journal of African American History, Southern Studies, and the South Carolina Historical Magazine. Brent was the 2010 recipient of the South Carolina Historical Society's Malcolm C. Clark Award, was named 2016 University of South Carolina Breakthrough Star for Research and Scholarship (the most prestigious scholarly award for junior faculty in the USC system), 2016 American Alliance of Museums Gold MUSE award winner (Digital Communities), and the 2018 Award of the Order of the South, the highest award bestowed by the Southern Academy of Letters, Arts, and Sciences (previous awardees include Eudora Welty and James Dickey).
The lecture will remain on the Library's YouTube Channel at least through February 25, 2021. Please avail yourself to this educational, informative, and enlightening lecture about this significant period of American history and how it played out in the Palmetto State.
If your interest gets piqued, the Library has loads of additional materials on the topic for you to explore: the BDC guide to the period; several digital collections; and plenty of books to borrow. Just ask us, we're happy to help you find more information.
Please note: The Library system will be closed on Monday, February 15, 2021 in honor of Presidents Day
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