Russ Gifford Training Specialist

A HOUSE DIVIDED: THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR
AND RECONSTRUCTION: 1850 - 1900

Starting Monday March 18th WIT L416

It was known as 'the Rebellion' - a far more accurate description, for there was nothing civil about the American Civil War.

   At once the best known and least understood era of American history, Americans know the names of the leaders, the places consecrated by the brave souls who gave their lives on those fields of battle: Gettysburg, Shiloh, Antietam, and hundreds of smaller yet no less significant fights.

   But in the century and a half since the rebellion ended, many Americans are unaware of some of the basic facts about why the war started, when it ended, and the reality of the issues surrounding Reconstruction.

Our goal is to understand the pressures that led to this conflict, to see the reasons the war came, and how it was fought. We will honor those who fought, but by trying to understand why those battles happened – and why they turned out the way they did. We will meet the personalities involved though writings, letters, notes, and actions.

In every class, we will hear the stories of rebels and unionists, abolitionists and feminists, statesmen and commoners, generals and presidents, farmers and foundry workers, rascals and the righteous, immigrants and industrialists.

We will tell the stories of people trying to live up to the promises of their founders, whose belief in the proposition that all men are created equal was tested, strained, and confirmed in this history of America. Join historian Russ Gifford and celebrate the successes as a nation conceived in liberty fought to live up to their ideals.    (Link to class descriptions)

1 - THE COMING CRISIS: 1850 - 1860
-March 18
2 - THE BREAK WITH THE UNION AND THE EARLY WAR: 1860-1861
-March 25
3 - FRUSTRATIONS ON THE BATTLEFIELDS, TENSIONS ON THE HOME FRONT: 1862
- April 1
4 - THE SOUTH INVADES, THE NORTH RETALIATES: 1862-1863
- April 8
5 - THE TIDE TURNS: 1863-1864
- April 15
6 - ASHES, VICTORY, SHROUDS - AND RECONSTRUCTION? 1865 - 1868
- April 22
7 - RECONSTRUCTION AND BEYOND: 1868-1876
- April 29
8 - RECESSION, REVIVAL, AND REUNION? 1877– 1893
- May 6

Past Seminars

Recent and upcoming Seminars

Developer/Producer of Interactive CD-Roms:
(These are multi-media extravaganzas with graphics, audio and video.)

Delivering Interactive WebEx Programs

Learning SPI's GBACW® system
12 sessions

Learning the Advanced Squad Leader® Game system!
14 sessions

Disc 1 - the Basics
Disc 2 - Fire Lanes and SW
Disc 3 - Guns and Tanks!

Russ Gifford Guest Lecturer, Institute for Lifelong Learning Western Iowa Tech Community College		Interactive Seminars and Lectures
Links to Previous Seminars	Spring 2019 -- Upcoming Seminars! Link to WIT Catalog	The Dr. Robert R. Dunker Leadership Lectures Spring 2019 A Tale of Two Presidents James Buchanan: Tragic Circumstances or Failed Leader? Wednesday, April 24, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Cargill Auditorium Andrew Johnson: Impossible Situation or Failed Leader? Friday, April 26, Noon to 2 p.m. Cargill Auditorium (Link to class descriptions) Upcoming seminars and multi-media classes Rock Around the Clock: Music and the 1960s - Mondays at 6 PM, WIT L416, Starting April 6 (Three weekly sessions) Click here for Complete listing of previous seminars Past Seminars Previous Multimedia Seminar Samples 'The 60's told via Rock n' Roll: 1963 - 1975 Boomer Classics Click to hear audio interview! Mass Media and Big Government (promo) Spies! (overview) Articles: Sample Clips from numerous publications
View the PowerPoint presentations for my "Regional Greats" series. While I do not have video of my lectures, I thought the notes for my 'Regional Greats' series could be valuable. These are men and women in the Iowa and Nebraska region who were important in history, though their contributions are largely overlooked today. Click the name to see the presentation (in PDF format. ) George Norris A legendary Nebraskan that left his impact on the state, and the country Harry Hopkins Few people realize just how vital Hopkins contribution to the New Deal was. Henry Wallace Another giant whose incredible efforts in agriculture are all but completely forgotten. Lou Hoover If she is remembered at all, it is as a wife of a president. This Iowa girl was so much more than that. Susan La Flesche Her determination would save lives; her advocacy for American Indians would change national policies; her hospital would improve lives for decades after her passing. William Jennings Bryan He is remembered as a joke and a buffoon. He was the voice of the rural Americans, and much of what he stood for in his early days rings true yet today. Class presentations - Click here Books "Spectacular Voyage: Following Lewis & Clark in Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota", by Russ Gifford, 2002. (Click to download PDF) (Click here to for audio preview) Training Manuals for SQL / SSRS Reporting / Microsoft Access Business Applications Developer "Using Microsoft Access as a Reports Server" Examples of Microsoft Access to Create Form-Driven Custom Reports Using SSRS to Create Custom Reports (and Student Tabs) within Infinite Campus!	A HOUSE DIVIDED: THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR AND RECONSTRUCTION: 1850 - 1900 Starting Monday March 18th WIT L416 It was known as 'the Rebellion' - a far more accurate description, for there was nothing civil about the American Civil War. At once the best known and least understood era of American history, Americans know the names of the leaders, the places consecrated by the brave souls who gave their lives on those fields of battle: Gettysburg, Shiloh, Antietam, and hundreds of smaller yet no less significant fights. But in the century and a half since the rebellion ended, many Americans are unaware of some of the basic facts about why the war started, when it ended, and the reality of the issues surrounding Reconstruction. Our goal is to understand the pressures that led to this conflict, to see the reasons the war came, and how it was fought. We will honor those who fought, but by trying to understand why those battles happened – and why they turned out the way they did. We will meet the personalities involved though writings, letters, notes, and actions. In every class, we will hear the stories of rebels and unionists, abolitionists and feminists, statesmen and commoners, generals and presidents, farmers and foundry workers, rascals and the righteous, immigrants and industrialists. We will tell the stories of people trying to live up to the promises of their founders, whose belief in the proposition that all men are created equal was tested, strained, and confirmed in this history of America. Join historian Russ Gifford and celebrate the successes as a nation conceived in liberty fought to live up to their ideals. (Link to class descriptions) 1 - THE COMING CRISIS: 1850 - 1860 -March 18 2 - THE BREAK WITH THE UNION AND THE EARLY WAR: 1860-1861 -March 25 3 - FRUSTRATIONS ON THE BATTLEFIELDS, TENSIONS ON THE HOME FRONT: 1862 - April 1 4 - THE SOUTH INVADES, THE NORTH RETALIATES: 1862-1863 - April 8 5 - THE TIDE TURNS: 1863-1864 - April 15 6 - ASHES, VICTORY, SHROUDS - AND RECONSTRUCTION? 1865 - 1868 - April 22 7 - RECONSTRUCTION AND BEYOND: 1868-1876 - April 29 8 - RECESSION, REVIVAL, AND REUNION? 1877– 1893 - May 6 Past Seminars Recent and upcoming Seminars Developer/Producer of Interactive CD-Roms: (These are multi-media extravaganzas with graphics, audio and video.) Delivering Interactive WebEx Programs Learning SPI's GBACW® system 12 sessions Learning the Advanced Squad Leader® Game system! 14 sessions Disc 1 - the Basics Disc 2 - Fire Lanes and SW Disc 3 - Guns and Tanks!