The stories behind them, what were some of the men thinking as they participate with this units, and we will end with what they do at gettysburg. With that, we will get started. All right. So, the irish brigade. One might question how do you get interested in this topic . Why would you choose the irish brigade . When i started here as an intern in 1998, the summer of my junior year in college, i was all about history. I wanted to delve more into some of my ancestry and all the stories that i had heard was that we are of irish descent. I was not a great genealogist at that point, but it is still interesting anyway. I had a chance, an opportunity, over the next couple summers as i worked at gettysburg, to really look at this part of the battle. And did a campd fire program on it, somewhat similar to the one you see now, but later on what i was able to do was get married and eventually take a honeymoon to ireland, so what a perfect chance to visit the mother country. We traveled all aroun
Listened to them littleknown statesmen from illinois deliver a speech that not only altered the course of his life but what impact the future of our nation. Scores of day, individuals have filled your seats. Eager to explore the issues that define who we are as a country. Tonight, you have a seat to another perspective on americas next chapter. Inspired by the man who would ultimately reunited country after the most divided time in its history. And preserve the Great American experiment. Abraham lincoln later viewed that Cooper Union Speech as the turning point for his election to the white house. Here he made an impassioned argument against the expansion of slavery in the United States. In treating his audience to have faith. That right makes might. His words did more than make a president. Lincolnsclarity of imperative has given voice to those employing others to do what is right for the greater good. No matter their political ideology. Event, we will be featuring programs all season
Advancement of science and art. Pleasure to welcome you to our historic great hall as we commemorate a profound and lasting expression of political conviction that took place in this room exactly 160 years ago today. As you saw moments ago, the great hall occupies an important place in the fabric of our city. Sitting here tonight you are not only occupying a seat where, on this day in 1860, new yorkers listened to a thenlittleknown statesman from illinois deliver a speech that would not only alter the course of his life but would impact the future of our. Ation since that day scores of individuals have filled your seats, eager to discuss the issues that define who we are as a country tonight you have a seat to another perspective on americas next chapter, inspired by the man who would reunite the country after the most divided period of its history and preserve the Great American experience. Abraham lincoln later viewed his Cooper Union Speech as the turning point to his eventual elect
[applause] [inaudible] [inaudible] [applause] thank you everybody i just want to tell you what happened to me and how i broke my leg. So i was sideswiped im very lucky to be here at all. So now i will tell you a story about the civil war so im speaking about it but to have the least impact. I just want to tell you a little bit before i get to the georgia part of the story. The people believe that cancer should be a free state and theyre willing to organize themselves and take up arms and then with those operations in the north and in the west to be a radical meant in the 18 fifties. They were coming to a number of people in radical fashion as conspirators not only those that became famous to have the other side and Harpers Ferry and to be a radical meant to lean into that idea and to be in favor of a hard war but would demand so much of the nation. And so for the radical republicans the good doctor sometimes it is better but the only way as we would address these fundamental issues. To
Our last speaker is well known to all of you, Gary Gallagher is the third professor in the history of the American Civil War americas at the university of virginia and the founding director of our core sponsor, center for civil war studies at the university of virginia. Knowing that gary was about to retire a number of years ago and move west, i have been writing just about every introduction for him the last few years as if tomorrow the last time we would see him in richmond. I want to apologize to gary for trying to show him the door and kick him out of the state every time he speaks here. Im happy to have been wrong in my assumption that garys retirement would mean farewell and im pleased that hes still a fixture in the commonwealth. Garys contributions to the field of civil war studies are many and varied beyond his own scholarship, writing and ing editing more than 30 books, hes been a frequent contributor and columnist for civil war magazines, battlefield guide, and Founding Edit