The Cazenovia Public Library Commemorates the American Civil War With Two Events
This May the Cazenovia Public Library commemorates the American Civil War with two outstanding events: a lecture by noted historian Sue Greenhagen and a screening of the award-winning film, Glory. Join us as we explore the impact of this bloody conflict on national, local, and personal history.
Sue Greenhagen Lecture: Tracing Your Civil War Ancestors—Tuesday, May 24 at 7 p.m. in the Community Room
Interested in the Civil War and eager to investigate your roots? If so, don’t miss Sue Greenhagen’s fascinating and informative lecture, Tracing Your Civil War Ancestors.
The Sesquicentennial of the Civil War has sparked interest in discovering those elusive ancestors that might have played a role in one of America’s most defining conflicts. In this presentation, Greenhagen will demonstrate ways to track down our Civil War ancestors using traditional methods and Internet resources.
Greenhagen’s impressive resume clearly demonstrates a passion for local history. In addition to serving as the Technical Services Librarian at SUNY Morrisville, she is a Historian for the Town of Eaton and the Village of Morrisville. She served as Editor for the 1996 award-winning project, “The Civil War Letters of Galutia York,” and as Webmaster for the site “New York State & the Civil War.” Additionally, Greenhagen is a member of numerous historical committees. For more information on Sue Greenhagen, visit http://people.morrisville.edu/~greenhsh/.
Movie: Glory—Friday, May 27 at 6:30 p.m. in the Community Room. Rated R; 122 minutes
Glory (1989) is a stunning celebration of the unsung heroes of the American Civil War. This award-winning film recounts the story of the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, one of the first all-black regiments of the war.
The story is told from the point of view of the unit’s white commanding officer, Colonel Robert Gould Shaw (Matthew Broderick), the son of an influential abolitionist. With the help of junior officer Cabot Forbes (Cary Elwes), Shaw puts together a strong and proud unit of volunteers, including escaped slave Trip (Denzel Washington) and gravedigger (John Rawlins (Morgan Freeman). The men undergo brutal training under the supervision of Sergeant-Major Mulcahy (John Finn) and find themselves denied supplies because of their race. Deemed incapable and undisciplined by many, the black soldiers are initially relegated to menial tasks and manual labor. Eventually, however, the regiment works its way into the heat of battle.
Leading the July 18, 1893, assault on Fort Wagner near Charleston, South Carolina, the 54th suffer heavy casualties. Their courage and discipline inspired the recruitment of thousands of African American men for combat, a development that turned the tide of the war and altered the course of history.
Free popcorn provided.
All events at the Cazenovia Public Library are free and open to the public. For more information on these and other Library events, call 655-9322 or visit www.cazenoviapubliclibrary.org.