2011 - 2015 marks the 150th anniversary of the American Civil War. At PHS, we are commemorating this pivotal moment in the history of the United States. Drawing from the collections entrusted to our care, we bring to light Presbyterian struggles and triumphs in the War Between the States through a variety of ways. Below, please enjoy the resources we have compiled for enrichment learning, and check back soon: we will be continually adding more.

Online Exhibit
Originally on view in Philadelphia from June 2011 through January 2012, "Presbyterians and the Civil War: Witnesses to a Great Moral Earthquake" is now available online.

Articles
The Spring/ Summer 2011 Issue of the Journal of Presbyterian History is a special issue devoted to Presbyterians and the Civil War.

"Theology, Presbyterian History, and the Civil War": Mark A. Noll addresses changes in Presbyterian and Reformed theology in the wake of the Civil War.

" 'There Can Be No Neutral Ground': Samuel B. McPheeters and the Collision of Church and State in St. Louis, 1860-1864": Marcus J. McArthur explores faith, civil disloyalty, and religious liberty under martial law.

Download the entire Civil War issue of the Journal of Presbyterian History (PDF Format)

PHS has been publishing the Journal of Presbyterian History for more than 100 years. Below are links to three articles on Presbyterians and the Civil War that have run in previous issues:

"Two Civil War Notebooks of James Russell Miller," Journal of the Presbyterian Historical Society, v. 37, nos. 2 and 3, 1959.
Miller (1840-1912) a Presbyterian pastor and popular author of devotional books, worked for the United States Christian Commission during the Civil War. The Presbyterian Historical Society holds a number of books authored by Miller as well as the J.R. Miller Papers (RG 385). Search our online catalog CALVIN for more information. [The CALVIN heading is: Miller, J. R. (James Russell), 1840-1912.]

Monroe, Haskell, "South Carolinians and the Formation of the Presbyterian Church in the Confederate States of America," Journal of Presbyterian History, v. 42, no. 4, Dec. 1964.

Shankman, Arnold, "Converse, The Christian Observer, and Civil War Censorship," Journal of Presbyterian History, v. 52, no. 3, Fall 1974.
The Presbyterian Historical Society holds the Converse Family Papers, 1837-1979 (RG 474). Four generations of the Converse family owned and operated The Christian Observer, a religious newspaper founded by Amasa Converse in 1840.

YouTube Lecture
At our exhibit opening event, we were honored to welcome The Reverend Dr. James Moorhead as our guest speaker. He discussed "The Civil War, the Churches, and the Terrible Swift Sword" before a packed audience. The lecture is available to all on our YouTube channel.

Traveling Exhibit
Our traveling exhibit on Presbyterians and the Civil War highlights the work of chaplains, ladies aid workers, and field agents caring for Confederate and Union soldiers during the war.