Was Abraham Lincoln the transcendent champion of African-American freedom that history books depict? Author Fred Kaplan tempers that image in a discussion of his book Lincoln and the Abolitionists: John Quincy Adams, Slavery, and the Civil War, casting Abe as a less fervent reformer than Adams and others of the time.
Civil War Events @ the Library
Upcoming Civil War Events
Fred Kaplan
Wednesday, September 13, 2017
Plaza Branch
Past Civil War Events
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Central Library
Meet the Past features Library Director Crosby Kemper III interviewing prominent historical figures (as portrayed by veteran Chautauqua performers) with Kansas City-area connections. Aaron Worley portrays Jesse James, the Missouri-born outlaw who became one of the most notorious bank and train robbers in the history of the United States.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Central Library
Author and historian David O. Stewart discusses his new book Impeached: The Trial of President Andrew Johnson and the Fight for Lincoln’s Legacy on Wednesday, June 10, at 6:30 p.m. at the Central Library, 14 W. 10th St.
Friday, May 1, 2009
Plaza Branch
On Friday, May 1, at 7 p.m. at the Plaza Branch, 4801 Main St., local author Andrea Warren presents her recently released nonfiction book for young adults Under Siege! Three Children at the Civil War Battle for Vicksburg.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Plaza Branch
The New York Times bestselling author Frank Delaney discusses his latest book Shannon: A Novel on Thursday, March 19, at 7 p.m. in the Truman Forum at the Plaza Branch, 4801 Main St.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Central Library
Jennifer Weber, an assistant professor of history at the University of Kansas, discusses her new book Copperheads: The Rise and Fall of Lincoln’s Opponents in the North on Wednesday, February 18, at 6:30 p.m. at the Central Library, 14 W. 10th St.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Central Library
A panel of military historians from the United States Army’s Command and General Staff College discusses Lincoln’s leadership traits as commander in chief on Thursday, February 5, at 6:30 p.m. at the Central Library, 14 W. 10th St.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Central Library
Michael Knight and Allen Wier join moderator Steve Paul of The Kansas City Star for the December talk in the Library’s Writers at Work series on Thursday, December 4, at 7 p.m. at the Central Library, 14 W. 10th St.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Plaza Branch
The chaos and violence happening in the African country of Sudan—one of gravest tragedies in modern world history—is the focus of a discussion featuring the authors of Courageous Journey: Walking the Lost Boys’ Path from the Sudan to America, on Sunday, November 16, at 3 p.m. at the Plaza Branch, 4801 Main St.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Central Library
In the aftermath of Quantrill's Raid on Lawrence, Kansas, Union General Thomas Ewing, Jr., became suspicious of local support for Confederate sympathizers and issued the infamous General Order No. 11 “ the enforced evacuation of rural communities in four Missouri counties surrounding Kansas City.
Tom Rafiner examines the economic and social repercussions of the abandoned homesteads and farmsteads amid this Civil War turbulence on Sunday, September 21, at 2 p.m. at the Central Library, 14 W. 10th St.