Stories from the Gettysburg Battlefield

As a graduate of Gettysburg College, you will inevitably be asked about the Battle of Gettysburg. You may be asked by friends, family, or even your new professional colleagues. How much do you know about the hallowed ground in which you lived and learned for four years? Do you have a compelling story to share? This session will introduce students to the strategic, social, political, and cultural significance of the Battle of Gettysburg, drawing on both firsthand accounts and later attempts to make sense of the events. Participants will focus primarily on the experiences and emotional reactions of a range of individual soldiers from different backgrounds and cultural contexts, as well as the impact of the Battle on local white and Black residents, including Pennsylvania College students. Some of the session will be devoted to monuments, veterans’ reunions, and the development of tourism to the site.

Here’s what you’ll learn:

• Articulate the overall significance of the Battle of Gettysburg.
• Gain an understanding of the Battle’s impact on the local civilian population, including their student predecessors.
• Earn an appreciation for the diverse and complicated ways that individual soldiers both experienced and attempted to make sense of the Battle.