By Sena Pottackal
CCC Journalism Program
BLACKWOOD – Chandra M. Manning, an associate professor at Georgetown University, will speak on Wednesday, Nov. 2 at Camden County College about the difference that slavery made to the ordinary Civil War soldier.
Manning’s lecture will be part of a mini lecture series about the Civil War presented by Camden County College’s Center for Civic Leadership and Responsibility. The lecture series is titled American Civil War: A History of Ordinary People in Extraordinary Times. This series will focus on the experiences of the ordinary American in the Civil War rather than army commanders and politicians.
Manning acquired a Ph.D in history from Harvard University in 2002. She teaches 19th century U.S. history at Georgetown University. Her first book, “What This Cruel War Was Over: Soldiers, Slavery, and the Civil War,” has received awards such as the Avary Craven Prize awarded by the Organization of American Historians.
Dr. Jack Pesda, the director of the Center for Civic Leadership and Responsibility, said, “Manning will cover various topics addressed in her book.” Also, as stated in the brochure for the presentation, “she will deal with the question of what was slavery’s relevance and meaning to rank and file soldiers by explaining what slavery meant to Confederate, white, and black Union soldiers. She will explain how slavery was linked to the soldiers’ war and trace how soldiers’ ideas about race, slavery, and the war changed over time.”
The lecture will take place at 7 p.m. at the Civic Center in the Connector Building on the Blackwood campus of Camden County College. All lectures and performances that are part of this Civil War series will be free and open to the public. Those who wish to attend are asked to register in advance, so that seating can be guaranteed and adequate reading material can be distributed at the door. Registration can be completed by filling out the registration form located on the back of the brochure or online at the school’s website, http://www.camdencc.edu/civiccenter. Also, registration can be done over the phone by calling (856) 227-7200, ext. 4333.
The Center for Civic Leadership and Responsibility office is on the first floor of the Connector Building. By Sena Pottackal, CCC Journalism Program