The Civil War began in 1861.
African-American troops played a large role.
Members of the public will be able to explore the topic with “Collective Amnesia: American Apartheid” Author Eugene D. Bètit on Tuesday.
Scheduled for 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., the discussion is taking place at Bull Run Regional Library, 8501 Ashton Avenue in Manassas, according to a release from Prince William County.
In January 1863, the Emancipation Proclamation went into effect and led to their recruitment.
“It was wildly successful because they raised 175 regiments, and God only knows how many troops. I used to think it was 180,000, but it may be close to 210,000,” the retired United States Army Intelligence Officer said in a release. “To put it in context, 175 regiments and 180,000 or 210,000 troops is more than the Confederates had on all fronts by 1864, and it highly influenced the outcome of the war.”
At first, African-American troops served as guards. Later on, they became fighters.
Paleography — the study of ancient handwriting — will be the focus of Genealogist Katie Derby’s presentation on Wednesday.
Participants will learn how to read documents during the program, which is also occurring at Bull Run Regional Library from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
We’ll share these tips and tricks, and then try our hand at figuring out some examples together,” Derby explained in a release. “We will be walking through examples of early American writing, looking at sample alphabets in various hands, learning the researchers’ best tricks for deciphering and transcribing old handwriting, and play with some online tutorials.”
Community members can learn additional details by contacting the Ruth E. Lloyd Information Center for Genealogy and Local History (RELIC) at 703-792-4540 or relic2@pwcgov.org.
