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14th Annual Presidential Symposium – Florida and the Civil War
01/22/2023 @ 2:00 pm – 5:30 pm
Museum Member Attendee: Free Non-Member Attendee: $25 Students (with school ID) $10
Symposium Overview:
When most Americans think of the Civil War, Virginia battlefields or Sherman’s march through Georgia likely come to mind. But Florida, one of the first states to secede, played several key roles in the war. A hotbed of slavery, it was the site of a bitterly contested federal fort, its vast coastline proved nearly impossible for the Union to blockade, and it saw an important battle – Olustee – where atrocities against Union soldiers of color were committed. In this thought-provoking conference, leading historians will explore the issues of slavery and freedom, battles and leaders, and war and reconstruction in Florida – one of the last states to cling to rebellion and slavery.
The Presidential Symposium will take place from 2:00-4:00 p.m. and a reception will follow from 4:00-5:30 p.m. Pre-registration is recommended as seating is limited.
Our Moderator & Panelists:
Harold Holzer, Moderator
Jonathan F. Fanton Director, Roosevelt House Public Policy Institute at Hunter College
Harold Holzer, winner of the 2008 National Humanities Medal and the 2015 Gilder-Lehrman Lincoln Prize, is one of the country’s leading authorities on Abraham Lincoln and the political culture of the Civil War era. A prolific writer and lecturer, and a frequent guest on television, Holzer served for 10 years as co-chairman of the U.S. Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission, appointed by President Bill Clinton, and is now chairman of The Lincoln Forum. The author or co-author of 55 books, Holzer was historical advisor to Steven Spielberg’s Oscar-winning Lincoln and the recent CNN series Lincoln: Divided We Stand. In February he appears on the new History Channel series, Lincoln. Learn more about Harold Holzer at Harold Holzer | Lincoln Scholar.
Photo: Matt Capowski
Valerie Scoon, Panelist
Producer and Filmmaker, Member of the filmmaking faculty at Florida State University College of Motion Picture Arts
Valerie Scoon is an award-winning producer and filmmaker. Her most recent documentary, Invisible History: Middle Florida’s Hidden Roots, was broadcast nationally through American Public Television and won the 2021 Suncoast Regional Emmy for Best Historical Documentary. In 2020, Ms. Scoon produced Daring Women Doctors: Physicians in the 19th Century, which aired nationally on PBS. In addition to her independent documentary work, Ms. Scoon worked as a Creative Executive for Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Films, as a Story Analyst for Creative Artists Agency, and as a Studio Executive for Warner Bros. With Harpo Films, Ms. Scoon’s narrative credits include the Golden Globe-nominated The Great Debaters; as well as Their Eyes Were Watching God. and The Wedding. In her capacity as Studio Executive at Warner Bros, Ms. Scoon oversaw such films as Spike Lee’s Malcolm X.
Dr. Craig L. Symonds, Panelist
Professor of History Emeritus at the United States Naval Academy
Dr. Craig L. Symonds is Professor of History Emeritus at the United States Naval Academy where he taught for thirty years and served as Department Chair. From 2017 to 2020 he was the Ernest J. King Professor of Maritime History at the U.S. Naval War College. He is the author of seventeen books, and winner of the Lincoln Prize, the Roosevelt Prize, the Morison Prize, the Barondess Prize, and the Dudley Knox Medal for Lifetime Achievement. His most recent book is Nimitz at War, published in 2022.
Hon. Frank J. Williams, Panelist
Retired Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Rhode Island
The Hon. Frank J. Williams is the retired Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Rhode Island. He is a noted Abraham Lincoln scholar and author, as well as a lecturer on the subject throughout the country and one of its major Lincoln collectors. The author, co-author or editor of more than 20 books – and a contributor to many others – Williams also served as founding chairman of The Lincoln Forum, where he is now Chairman Emeritus, and President Emeritus of the Ulysses S. Grant Association.
Support the Presidential Symposium and let the savings begin! Become a HistoryMiami Museum member today and save the cost of admission, plus $10 off the price of membership. Enjoy members-only discounts and events all year long. Visit our membership page to join. Use Promo Code Pres10 for your $10 off, starting at the Dual membership level and above.
Become a MemberThis program is made sponsored in part by Jean and Bill Soman and David Lawrence, Jr. – The Children’s Movement of Florida. If you wish to help the museum with the cost of executing this unique program, please make your tax-deductible donation here or with the button below. Thank you.
Support the SymposiumAccessibility
ASL interpretation will be available during the program. To request materials in accessible format, sign language interpreters, and/or any disability accommodation, please contact Hana Squires, Accessibility Coordinator, at accessibility@historymiami.org or call (305) 375-1621 at least two weeks in advance of your visit to initiate your request. TTY users may also call 711 (Florida Relay Service).
Photo Credit: Katz and Allison lithographic print of the Battle of Olustee, Olustee Battlefield, Florida – Courtesy of the State Archives of Florida.
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Release
By entering the premises, you consent to interview(s), photography, audio recording, video recording and its/their release, publication, exhibition, or reproduction to be used for news, web casts, promotional purposes, telecasts, advertising, inclusion on web sites, or any other purpose by HistoryMiami Museum (HMM) and its affiliates and representatives. You release HistoryMiami Museum (HMM) its officers and employees, and each and all persons involved from any liability connected with the taking, recording, digitizing, or publication of interviews, photographs, computer images, video and/or or sound recordings. By entering the premises, you waive all rights you may have to any claims for payment or royalties in connection with any exhibition, streaming, webcasting, televising, or other publication of these materials, regardless of the purpose or sponsoring of such exhibiting, broadcasting, webcasting, or other publication irrespective of whether a fee for admission or sponsorship is charged. You also waive any right to inspect or approve any photo, video, or audio recording taken by HistoryMiami Museum (HMM) or the person or entity designated to do so by HistoryMiami Museum (HMM) You have been fully informed of your consent, waiver of liability, and release before entering the premise.