VMHC Lectures

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War Zone: World War II off the North Carolina Coast by Kevin P. Duffus Jun 18, 2014

Show notes

On June 12 at noon, Kevin P. Duffus delivered a Banner Lecture entitled "War Zone: World War II off the North Carolina Coast." For seven months in 1942, black smoke and orange flames from torpedoed vessels filled the ocean skies off the coast of North Carolina. Explosions rattled window panes and the nerves of coastal residents. Beaches were awash with wreckage, oil, empty lifeboats, and bodies. War Zone follows the accounts of three climactic engagements between U.S. forces and German U-boats off North Carolina’s coast when the battle of the Atlantic hung in the balance. This story is told from the perspective of everyday people who faced daunting challenges with perseverance, patriotism, and uncommon valor. Kevin Duffus, a researcher and filmmaker, is the author of several books, including Shipwrecks of the Outer Banks: An Illustrated Guide, The Last Days of Black Beard the Pirate, and War Zone: World War II off the North Carolina Coast.

War Zone: World War II off the North Carolina Coast Jun 18, 2014

Show notes

On June 12, 2014, Kevin P. Duffus delivered a Banner Lecture entitled "War Zone: World War II off the North Carolina Coast." For seven months in 1942, black smoke and orange flames from torpedoed vessels filled the ocean skies off the coast of North Carolina. Explosions rattled window panes and the nerves of coastal residents. Beaches were awash with wreckage, oil, empty lifeboats, and bodies. War Zone follows the accounts of three climactic engagements between U.S. forces and German U-boats off North Carolina’s coast when the battle of the Atlantic hung in the balance. This story is told from the perspective of everyday people who faced daunting challenges with perseverance, patriotism, and uncommon valor. Kevin Duffus, a researcher and filmmaker, is the author of several books, including Shipwrecks of the Outer Banks: An Illustrated Guide, The Last Days of Black Beard the Pirate, and War Zone: World War II off the North Carolina Coast. The content and opinions expressed in these presentations are solely those of the speaker and not necessarily of the Virginia Museum of History & Culture.

Lee at Appomattox by Elizabeth R. Varon (Hazel and Fulton Chauncey Lecture) Jun 12, 2014

Show notes

On June 5, Elizabeth Varon delivered the Hazel and Fulton Chauncey Lecture entitled "Lee at Appomattox." Robert E. Lee's surrender to Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House evokes a highly gratifying image in the popular mind—it was, many believe, a moment that transcended politics, a moment of healing, a moment of patriotism untainted by ideology. But as Elizabeth Varon reveals in her latest book, this rosy image conceals a seething debate over precisely what the surrender meant and what kind of nation would emerge from war. In Appomattox, she deftly captures the events swirling around that well remembered—but not well understood—moment when the Civil War ended. Did America's best days lie in the past or in the future? For Lee, it was the past, the era of the founding generation. For Grant, it was the future, represented by northern moral and material progress. They held, in the end, two opposite views of the direction of the country—and of the meaning of the war that had changed the country forever.

Lee at Appomattox (Chauncey Lecture 2015) Jun 11, 2014

Show notes

On june 5, 2014, Elizabeth R. Varon delivered the banner lecture "Lee at Appomattox" Robert E. Lee's surrender to Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House evokes a highly gratifying image in the popular mind—it was, many believe, a moment that transcended politics, a moment of healing, a moment of patriotism untainted by ideology. But as Elizabeth Varon reveals in her latest book, this rosy image conceals a seething debate over precisely what the surrender meant and what kind of nation would emerge from war. In Appomattox, she deftly captures the events swirling around that well remembered—but not well understood—moment when the Civil War ended. Did America's best days lie in the past or in the future? For Lee, it was the past, the era of the founding generation. For Grant, it was the future, represented by northern moral and material progress. They held, in the end, two opposite views of the direction of the country—and of the meaning of the war that had changed the country forever. The content and opinions expressed in these presentations are solely those of the speaker and not necessarily of the Virginia Museum of History & Culture.

The Men Who Lost America: British Leadership, the American Revolution, and the Fate of the Empire May 28, 2014

Show notes

On May 22, 2014, Andrew O’Shaughnessy delivered a Banner Lecture entitled "The Men Who Lost America: British Leadership, the American Revolution, and the Fate of the Empire." The loss of America was an unexpected defeat for the British Empire. Common wisdom has held that incompetent military commanders and political leaders must have been to blame. Weaving together the personal stories of ten prominent men who directed the British dimension of the war, historian Andrew O’Shaughnessy dispels the incompetence myth and uncovers the real reasons that rebellious colonials were able to achieve their surprising victory. British victories were frequent throughout the war. Yet roiling political complexities at home, combined with the fervency of the fighting Americans, proved fatal to the British war effort. Andrew Jackson O’Shaughnessy, the Saunders Director of the Robert H. Smith International Center for Jefferson Studies at Monticello and professor of history at the University of Virginia, is the author of The Men Who Lost America: British Leadership, the American Revolution, and the Fate of the Empire, winner of the 2014 George Washington Book Prize. Purchase a copy of The Men Who Lost America: British Leadership, the American Revolution, and the Fate of the Empire. This lecture is cosponsored with the Society of Colonial Wars in the State of Virginia. The content and opinions expressed in these presentations are solely those of the speaker and not necessarily of the Virginia Museum of History & Culture.

The Men Who Lost America: British Leadership, the American Revolution, and the Fate of the Empire May 28, 2014

Show notes

On May 22 at noon, Andrew O’Shaughnessy delivered a Banner Lecture entitled "The Men Who Lost America: British Leadership, the American Revolution, and the Fate of the Empire." The loss of America was an unexpected defeat for the British Empire. Common wisdom has held that incompetent military commanders and political leaders must have been to blame. Weaving together the personal stories of ten prominent men who directed the British dimension of the war, historian Andrew O’Shaughnessy dispels the incompetence myth and uncovers the real reasons that rebellious colonials were able to achieve their surprising victory. British victories were frequent throughout the war. Yet roiling political complexities at home, combined with the fervency of the fighting Americans, proved fatal to the British war effort. Andrew Jackson O’Shaughnessy, the Saunders Director of the Robert H. Smith International Center for Jefferson Studies at Monticello and professor of history at the University of Virginia, is the author of The Men Who Lost America: British Leadership, the American Revolution, and the Fate of the Empire, winner of the 2014 George Washington Book Prize.

The Spring of 1864: A Season of Hope in the United States and the Confederacy by Gary Gallagher May 12, 2014

Show notes

On May 7, Gary W. Gallagher delivered a special evening Banner Lecture entitled "The Spring of 1864: A Season of Hope in the United States and the Confederacy." Many people consider the summer of 1863 to be the Civil War's great turning point, after which the Confederacy stood no chance of achieving independence. In fact, citizens in both the United States and the Confederacy entered the spring of 1864 with hopes for a favorable outcome of the war. This lecture will assess opinion inside and outside the armies as the campaigning season approached in April, highlighting the importance of U. S. Grant and R. E. Lee to expectations in their respective nations. It will also underscore the importance of engaging contemporary evidence, rather than retrospective accounts, if we are to understand historical events. Gary W. Gallagher is the John L. Nau III Professor in the History of the American Civil War at the University of Virginia and the author of many books and articles, including Becoming Confederates: Paths to a New National Loyalty (2013).

The Spring of 1864: A Season of Hope in the United States and the Confederacy May 08, 2014

Show notes

On May 7, 2014, Gary W. Gallagher delivered a special evening Banner Lecture entitled "The Spring of 1864: A Season of Hope in the United States and the Confederacy." Many people consider the summer of 1863 to be the Civil War's great turning point, after which the Confederacy stood no chance of achieving independence. In fact, citizens in both the United States and the Confederacy entered the spring of 1864 with hopes for a favorable outcome of the war. This lecture will assess opinion inside and outside the armies as the campaigning season approached in April, highlighting the importance of U. S. Grant and R. E. Lee to expectations in their respective nations. It will also underscore the importance of engaging contemporary evidence, rather than retrospective accounts, if we are to understand historical events. Gary W. Gallagher is the John L. Nau III Professor in the History of the American Civil War at the University of Virginia and the author of many books and articles, including Becoming Confederates: Paths to a New National Loyalty (2013). This lecture is cosponsored with the Richmond National Battlefield Park. The content and opinions expressed in these presentations are solely those of the speaker and not necessarily of the Virginia Museum of History & Culture.

Frozen in Time: An Epic Story of Survival and a Modern Quest for Lost Heroes of WWII Apr 30, 2014

Show notes

On April 16, 2014, Mitchell Zuckoff delivered the 2014 Stuart G. Christian, Jr., Lecture entitled "Frozen in Time: An Epic Story of Survival and a Modern Quest for Lost Heroes of World War II." The content and opinions expressed in these presentations are solely those of the speaker and not necessarily of the Virginia Museum of History & Culture.

Frozen in Time: An Epic Story of Survival and a Modern Quest for Lost Heroes of WWII Apr 30, 2014

Show notes

On April 17, Mitchell Zuckoff delivered the 2014 Stuart G. Christian, Jr., Lecture entitled "Frozen in Time: An Epic Story of Survival and a Modern Quest for Lost Heroes of World War II.

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