Conversations on the Civil War - 1863: Gettysburg

July 2013 marked the 150th anniversary of the American Civil War battle of Gettysburg. Dr. Mark Smith, Carolina Distinguished Professor of History at USC, joined Dr. Edgar for one of a series of public conversations, “Conversations on the Civil War – 1863,” sponsored by the College of Arts and Sciences at USC. Smith and Edgar explore how people, both soldiers and civilians, might have experienced the bloodiest battle of the Civil War: Gettysburg.

The Cause | Walter Edgar's Journal

Episode 1

Audio

Grades: 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

In this section, Dr. Mark Smith first details the Conscription Act of 1863. He then analyzes how some historians misconstrue the cause of the entire war, and then discusses how Great Britain almost...

The Turning Point | Walter Edgar's Journal

Episode 2

Audio

Grades: 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

In this section of Gettysburg, Dr. Mark Smith analyzes how Gettysburg was not just the turning point of the war itself, but how things changed politically and diplomatically between the Confederacy...

A Cornucopia Of Carrion | Walter Edgar's Journal

Episode 3

Audio

Grades: 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

What must it have been like to be in the battle? In this section, Dr. Mark Smith describes the intense and gruesome details of the battle of Gettysburg. Things like what one would have seen, smelled...

The Draft Riots | Walter Edgar's Journal

Episode 4

Audio

Grades: 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

It is a popular belief that circulated photographs of Gettysburg’s “Harvest of Death,” caused the draft riots in New York City, which in turn also caused an economic backlash.

A Significant Setback | Walter Edgar's Journal

Episode 5

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Grades: 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Dr. Smith outlines the decrease in morale in the South after Gettysburg. The South suffered heavy losses, and some critics made their feelings known regarding General Robert E. Lee, and Confederate...

Pickett's Charge | Walter Edgar's Journal

Episode 6

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Grades: 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Dr. Mark Smith analyzes the most intense, and disastrous portion of the battle: General George Pickett’s charge. The result of this charge was a disastrous one for the South. “General Lee, I have no...

Gettysburg's Homefront | Walter Edgar's Journal

Episode 7

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Grades: 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

In the final section, Dr. Smith details what it must have been like for civilians living in Gettysburg, experiencing the battle first-hand, and the battle's horrific aftermath.

Conversations On The Civil War - 1863: Gettysburg (Full Version)

Episode 8

Audio

Grades: 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

July 2013 marked the 150th anniversary of the American Civil War battle of Gettysburg. Dr. Mark Smith, Carolina Distinguished Professor of History at USC, joined Dr. Edgar for one of a series of...