Spotlight on the Civil War

Check out the new Spotlight on the Collections exhibit, called First Person: Voices from the Civil War 1861-1865. We have chosen to highlight books that feature personal writings from before, during and after the war. You can find letters and other personal correspondence, diary entries, and personal accounts from soldiers and others who were on the front lines.

There is also an iPad kiosk where you can access a couple of wonderful research databases called Documenting the American South and Slavery and Anti-Slavery: A Transnational Archive. Documenting the American South provides access to texts, images and audio files related to Southern history, literature and culture, and features some pretty cool stuff including oral history interviews and North American slave narratives. Slavery and Anti-Slavery: A Transnational Archive features books, manuscript collections and even Supreme Court records and briefs. Some of the documents included in this digital collection were supplied through a partnership with Oberlin College Archives.

These wonderful primary sources offer glimpses into what life was like during the Civil War era from several different points of view. Take some time to peek into history!