John Brown and the Raid that Sparked the Civil War

When: Monday, October 31
Time:  1 p.m. ET
Where: Your computer
How (do I attend?): Register today!

Plotted in secret, launched in the dark, John Brown’s raid on Harpers Ferry ruptured the union between North and South. Yet few Americans know the true story of the militant idealists who invaded Virginia before the Civil War. Now, Midnight Rising paints Brown’s uprising in vivid color, capturing a nation on the brink of explosive conflict.

In this riveting book, Tony Horwitz probes the troubled soul of Brown, the desperate passion of his followers, and the spirit of a sundered nation. The result is both a taut historical drama and a telling portrait of a fiery time that still resonates in our own. Join American Public University’s live webcast as Tony Horwitz, New York Times bestselling author of Confederates in the Attic, presents his view on the daring insurrection that put America on the path to the bloody Civil War.

[Passionate about the Civil War? Learn more about a Graduate Certificate in Civil War Studies]

Accompanying Tony will be Dennis E. Frye, the Chief Historian at Harpers Ferry National Historical Park. A writer, lecturer, guide, and preservationist, Dennis is a prominent Civil War historian. Dennis has made numerous appearances on PBS, The History Channel, The Discovery Channel, and A&E as a guest historian, and he helped produce award-winning television features on the Battle of Antietam and abolitionist John Brown.



American Public University (APU) is offering 4^th through 12^thgrade teachers an online, three-credit summer graduate course, “War Comes to Harpers Ferry: 1861.” The course will be accompanied by a three-day, summer workshop in historic Harpers Ferry, WV, organized by Harpers Ferry National Historical Park and taught by park historians and other local experts.

The APU graduate course and the Harpers Ferry National Historic Park workshopwill enhance educator understanding and knowledge of the defining time period in American History covering the succession of Virginia from the Union through the occupation of Harpers Ferry to the night of April 18, with hundreds of Virginia militia closing in on the town, Lieutenant Jones’s soldiers blew up the Harpers Ferry Armory and Arsenal, then made their escape.

Learn more about this unique opportunity with educators at APU.

Wednesday, March 3, 2010  11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. ET

Register Today >

Have you ever handled a document over 150 years old? The American Civil War left behind a vast paper trail of soldiers’ letters and diaries, as well as newspapers and periodicals; all of these documents provide accounts of crucial events of the era, enabling historians to piece together the events that shaped America’s past during this defining time.

Learn more about this special webcast.

Dr. Steven E. Woodworth, Professor of History at American Public University, and Tom Daccord, Educational Technology Specialist at Best of History Web Sites, will discuss researching and handling original Civil War documents through the Internet and how they apply it to their own projects.

About our Guest Speakers: 

• Steven E. Woodworth, Professor, American Public University, School of Arts and HumanitiesDr. Woodworth (Ph.D., Rice University, 1987) is professor of history at American Public University and author, co-author, or editor of twenty-seven books. Some of the courses he teaches include: Historical Research Methods, The Civil War: Seminal Event in American History, and Civil War Command & Leadership. Read More…

• Tom Daccord, Educational Technology Specialist, Best of History Web SitesBest of History Web Sites was created in 2001 by Tom Daccord, 15-year history teacher and co-director of EdTechTeacher, Inc. Tom is an educational technology specialist and author of Best Ideas for Teaching with Technology: A Practical Guide for Teachers by Teachers and The Best of History Web Sites.A veteran “laptop teacher” who instructed in a wireless laptop environment for seven years, Tom has been featured in the Boston Globe (Making Tech Connect, December 29, 2003) for his contributions to teaching and technology. Read More…