Skip to Main content

ASU Civil War Speaker Series Continues

January 22, 2013

The motivations of men to both enlist and then continue to fight in the nation’s bloodiest war will be examined during the fourth program in Angelo State University’s 2012-13 Civil War Lecture Series at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 29, in the C.J. Davidson Center on the university campus.

ASU historians Dr. Kanisorn Wongsrichanalai and Dr. William A. Taylor will speak on “Soldier Motivation and Life” in the Davidson Center located in the Houston Harte University Center, 1910 Rosemont.  The program is open free to the public.

Wongsrichanalai, an assistant professor of history and Civil War scholar, will address what compelled young men to volunteer and fight for the Union and the Confederacy.  His lecture will touch upon issues of nationalism, regional identity and social pressures.  He will also discuss his work on college-educated men, who as part of the professional class could have avoided the war.

Taylor, an assistant professor of security studies, will discuss combat motivations and sustaining reasons that kept men fighting, even when facing certain death or injury.  Taylor’s talk will address what made men fight and what they believed they were achieving with their sacrifices.  He will also look at small unit cohesion, camaraderie and related factors.

Wongsrichanalai, coordinator for ASU’s 2012-13 Civil War Lecture Series, said the goal of the lecture series is to engage the community in reflection on the Civil War and its impact, even on contemporary society.  He said the lecture series would also be a learning experience for secondary school teachers and their students.

The Civil War series is jointly sponsored by multiple ASU departments, including the History Department, Center for Security Studies, West Texas Collection, Multicultural Center and Air Force ROTC, as well as Fort Concho and the Concho Valley Civil War Roundtable, to commemorate the 150th anniversary of that watershed event in American history.

            Other programs in ASU’s 2012-13 Civil War Lecture Series are:

 Persons interested in more information on the Civil War series can email the ASU History Department at civilwar150@angelo.edu.