Maine in the Civil War
Presented in partnership with Maine Historical Society
Overview:
Maine Historical Society (MHS) and Maine Humanities Council (MHC) are pleased to announce Local & Legendary: Maine in the Civil War, a new grant program to engage Maine communities in their Civil War history. Funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities, Local & Legendary will bring together collaborative project teams comprised of libraries, historical organizations, and educational institutions to explore local Civil War history in multidisciplinary ways and investigate questions of that era's motivations, loyalty, identity, and politics at the community level. Digital exhibits created by the team will be added to Maine Memory Network's Civil War site.
The state of Maine holds a special place in the history of the American Civil War. Though far from the front lines, the state and its citizens played key roles in the coming of the war, the war itself, and its aftermath. More than 70,000 Mainers served in Union blue (including more than 24 Union generals), and nearly 10,000 lost their lives.
But the story of Maine and the Civil War is not just about prominent figures, or those who saw action on the battlefield. It is also about the struggles, concerns, and triumphs of the 558,000 Mainers who remained at home. How did national issues and events shape your local town’s experience, and how, in turn, did the citizens of your town shape the national story of the Civil War?
Maine Historical Society (MHS) and Maine Humanities Council (MHC) are pleased to announce Legendary Participation: Maine in the Civil War. Funded by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, Legendary Participation will explore questions of motivation, loyalty, identity, and politics at the community level.
We invite Maine’s communities to take a journey through their town’s Civil War history as a way to better understand who they are today. Ten communities from around the state will be selected to participate over two program years of the project. Four communities were chosen for the 2013-2014 academic year: Belfast, Gorham-Windham, Portland-Westbrook, and Presque Isle. Six more will be chosen in 2014-2015. Selection of the communities will be based on geographic and population diversity, and the strength of their applications. Application materials will be posted in the fall of 2013.
Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.