Book A Speaker

Bring our Museum’s stories to you

The American Civil War Museum offers various programs for organizations to book or schedule. Explore the categories below or contact us for special requests.

Unless otherwise noted, the programs listed below are lectures designed for adults and vary in length. All are designed to occur at your location or the Museum. Programs are subject to availability, and most can be adapted to fit the needs of your group. Booking and pricing information is below.

Great For: Educational Institutions, Corporate Groups, Senior Groups, Families & Friends, Girl Scout/Boy Scout Troops, Tourist Groups, History Clubs and Enthusiasts, Community Organizers

Cost: $100 per program + mileage

**The above rate is for nonprofit organizations; price varies for virtual programming

For more information, or to book a program:
Contact Kelly Hancock, 804.649.1861, ext. 121

Additional Reservation Information

Programs are subject to staff availability.
Overnight lodging will be required if the speaker has to travel over two hours for an evening program.
Payment is due on the day of the program. In cases involving significant travel, payment will be required two weeks in advance.
Cancellations must be made at least 24 hours in advance. Cancellations less than 24 hours in advance of a scheduled booking are still responsible for paying for the originally booked program.

Delve into the fascinating study of how officers’ unique leadership styles impacted their strategic decisions and ultimately affected the course of the war. Explore the role of technology and the navy in shaping the outcome of the battles. Furthermore, gain insight into the harrowing experiences of prisoners of war as you learn about the unimaginable horrors they endured during their captivity.

The Art of Surviving: Belle Isle and Beyond

Using Belle Isle as a starting point, delve into the horror of life in Civil War prison camps, both North and South, and discover the many ways prisoners sought to maintain sanity in the midst of squalor, disease, and malnutrition.  Numerous pieces of the Museum’s POW art collection are displayed through PowerPoint.

Diabolical Designs: The Story of Dahlgren’s Raid

From the papers found upon the body of Ulric Dahlgren to the disappearance of his corpse, the story of Dahlgren’s thwarted raid bears witness to the fact that truth is stranger than fiction.  This tale of bizarre happenings is told through the use of PowerPoint.

Medical Practices of the Civil War

This program will examine medical practices during the Civil War through PowerPoint and the reproduction of 19th-century medical equipment. It will highlight the causes of disease, the organization of the hospital system, the treatment of wounded soldiers, and the contributions of medical personnel.

Delve deeper into the lesser-known narratives of the individuals who were not fighting on the frontlines during the Civil War. Gain insight into their distinct struggles and experiences, and explore how their perspectives and challenges differed from those who were engaged in active combat.

From Belles to Battleaxes: Women of Civil War Richmond

Discover the women of Civil War Richmond, from daring spies and devoted nurses, to star-crossed lovers and captivating socialites. Learn about Rose O’Neal Greenhow, Elizabeth Van Lew, Mary Chesnut, Hetty Cary, Buck Preston and more.

Carte-de-visite showing a considerably younger Harriet than normally seen in the known images of her, just coming off her work during the Civil War

Harriet Tubman and the Quest for Freedom

She was called “General Tubman” and the “Moses” of her people, yet there is much we do not know about this heroic “conductor” of the Underground Railroad who risked all to rescue others. Join us for an intimate look at the woman who may one day be the face of the $20 bill.

Liberty & Loyalty: Portraits of the Confederate White House Staff

The White House of the Confederacy’s household staff was a diverse group of African Americans, both enslaved and free, Irish immigrants, and a German florist. Using information obtained from letters, memoirs, and newspaper articles, this presentation investigates the lives of the Davis servants, including the mysterious Mary Elizabeth Bowser.

One Bright Moment:  The Wedding of Hetty Cary and John Pegram

Hailed as the social event of the season, the January 19, 1865, wedding of one of the most beautiful belles in the South to a dashing brigadier general was one bright moment amid the gloom of 1865.  However, ill omens preceded the wedding and tragedy would follow soon on its heels.

Socialite, Secessionist, Spy

One of Washington D.C.’s most charming and influential socialites, Rose O’Neale Greenhow used her connections to gain information on U.S. Army troop movements before the battle of Manassas.  Explore the story of this determined woman whose own family was divided by war.

Photograph shows portrait of Susie King Taylor, who served more than three years as nurse with the 33rd U.S. Colored Troops Infantry Regiment during the American Civil War, although officially enrolled as a laundress. She also taught children and adults to read while serving with the regiment.

Susie King Taylor’s Civil War

Susie King Taylor was a remarkable African-American woman who defied all odds. Having been born into slavery, she secretly received an education and went on to become the only African-American woman to ever publish a memoir about her wartime experiences with the army. During her time with the 33rd United States Colored Troops, Taylor worked as a teacher, laundress, and nurse, making invaluable contributions to the war effort. Her story is one of resilience, determination, and bravery.

Discover how Richmond became the Confederate capital and how it changed as a result of the war. Uncover the secrets of Belle Isle, Tredegar and Brown’s Island. Meet the free and enslaved staff of the Confederate White House. Join in the social whirl of the new capital.

Bread or blood

Learn how price controls, rising inflation, and wartime shortages led to the Richmond Bread Riot in the spring of 1863.  Meet the women involved in orchestrating the riot and explore the controversy over who ended it.

Civil War Richmond

Discover why Richmond was chosen as the Confederate capital and how it changed as a result of it to become a city of hospitals and military prisons besieged by dangers from within and without.

Nightingales of Richmond

During the American Civil War, woman defied social convention and volunteered by the thousands to serve as nurses in both the North and the South.  This talk explores the experiences of two of those women— Phoebe Yates Pember, chief matron of Hospital # 2 at Chimborazo, and Sally Tompkins, matron of Robertson Hospital.

Enter the world of the first families during the American Civil War. How did past experiences shape Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis to become war presidents? What type of conversation would Mary Todd Lincoln and Varina Davis have if they had ever met?

Lincoln and Davis

Explore the lives of Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis, examining the road they traveled from their births in Kentucky to their time in the White House.

First ladies of the civil war

Explore the lives of Varina Davis and Mary Todd Lincoln, examining them not only as First Ladies but also as wives, mothers, and widows. Discover the triumphs and tragedies of these two remarkable women.

White House of the Confederacy

The house built at the corner of 12th and Clay Streets in Richmond, Virginia, has a rich history as a private residence, Executive Mansion, military headquarters, school, and museum. Discover the transformations that have occurred since 1818 up to the present.

Explore some of the complex issues of the Civil War Era related to politics. Learn the reasons why the South decided to secede and what impact African-American leaders had on the Abolition Movement. Discover where the country was successful in reuniting after four years of war and where it failed.

Voices of abolition

Discover the remarkable and invaluable contributions of African Americans who played a pivotal role in the abolition movement. Delve deeper into the extraordinary lives and works of historical figures like Frederick Douglass, who fought tirelessly for the rights of enslaved people, Sojourner Truth, who fought for women’s rights and the abolition of slavery, and Harriet Tubman, who led countless enslaved individuals to freedom through the Underground Railroad.

Confederate Christians’ Proslavery Manifesto

In response to Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, White clergy in the Confederate States reacted violently and defended slavery as the cause of the Confederacy. Their 1863 Address to the Christians of the World provides insight into the perspective of these religious leaders on slavery and allows us to delve into the concept of “Proslavery Christianity.”

Discover the legacies and controversies that shed light on a past that cannot be forgotten. How did Americans cope with the immense devastation caused by the American Civil War? What makes the “Confederate flag” such a controversial symbol? In what ways does the war still hold significance for us today?

Death and Mourning in the 19th Century

Find out how Americans sought to hold on to the ideal of the “good death” in the midst of a conflict that took the lives of over 600,000 soldiers.  Discover how funeral and mourning practices changed as a result of the war.

ROBERT E. LEE & MEMORY

A story about Robert E. Lee kneeling in church next to a Black man “when no one else would” appeared in 1905. Over the 20th Century, the story has been given different meanings by southern writers crowing about the defeat of Reconstruction, by Black historians calling for racial cooperation, by White religious leaders to satisfy political promises, by integration advocates to goad White moderates in the Civil Rights movement, and ironically, by folks today who do not want history to change. What does all this tell us about the historical power of stories, of Robert E. Lee, and of struggles for racial equality using Civil War memory?

Add an educational component to your holiday event with one of our themed programs. Ever wonder what Christmas was like in the 19th Century? Did Civil War soldiers send Valentines to their sweethearts? How did Memorial Day begin?

Victorian Christmas Tradition

Christmas today is far removed from what it was in the mid-19th century, yet it was during that period that many of our current-day traditions developed. Discover the origin of some of the most beloved elements of Christmas and hear accounts of Civil War Christmases.

Hearts at war

Discover the history of Valentine’s Day, the start of Valentine’s Day traditions in America, and how the War affected those traditions in the South. The program includes images of original valentines in the Museum’s collections and excerpts from letters between soldiers and their loved ones.