Civil War Institute to Examine the 250th

Washington, D.C.

March 12, 2026

This year's five-day Civil War Institute at Gettysburg College will zero in on the meaning of the Declaration of Independence during the Civil War and beyond this June 12-17.

CWI director Ian Isherwood

"Check out our special, America250 sessions we are offering at our summer conference, featuring award-winning authors and scholars from the academy, museum, and publishing worlds," the CWI said in an email.

The intensive CWI program features speakers, panel discussions and battlefield tours. Features at this year's event specifically dealing with the 250th anniversary of the Declaration include:

"The Civil War Generation and the Spirit of '76," a presentation by Michael Hattem of the Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute on Friday, June 12.

Also, on that date novelist Jeff Shaara will speak on "Writing the Wars: Revolutionary War and Civil War History for the Masses." He will be in conversation with CWI director Ian Isherwood.

"America at 250: The Revolution, the Civil War and the Shaping of Modern America," with journalist and author Andrew Lawler, Hattem and James Taub of the Museum of the American Revolution. Jill Ogline Titus of Gettysburg College will moderate. It is scheduled for Saturday, June 13.

Later that day, Lawler will present "Revolution Redux: How Enslaved Americans Spurred the Emancipations of 1775 and 1863."

On Sunday, June 14, Andrew Lang of Mississippi State University will speak on "Our Father's Brough Forth: Lincoln's Gratitude in the Gettysburg Address."

For all the information on this June's CWI go to https://www.gettysburg.edu/civil-war-institute/summer-conference/2026-cwi-conference#schedule. This site provides the full schedule, cost to attend, info on lodging, meals and the battlefield tours at Gettysburg and beyond.