Cleveland Civil War Roundtable
Encyclopedia
The Cleveland Civil War Roundtable is a nonprofit historical society
and social group dedicated to the study and discussion of the American Civil War
(1861–1865).
The men and women of the Cleveland Civil War Roundtable reflect the ethnic, racial and religious diversity of Greater Cleveland
. Its approximately one hundred and twenty members range in age from 17 to 94 years old, at every level of interest and historical expertise. Its common bond is the belief that the Civil War was the defining event of American history. It honors those who fought, suffered and died to preserve the Union
, uphold the Constitution
and destroy slavery
. It also honors, for their courage and their bravery, those who fought, suffered and died for the cause of Southern Independence
, a cause in which they genuinely believed. Further, it celebrates the reunion of the states that comprise the United States -- one nation, indivisible, and one people under one flag.
The Cleveland group is the second-oldest Civil War roundtable
in the country, after Chicago
's. Since its founding in 1957, its members have met monthly from September to May. It meets at Judson Manor, on Cleveland's East Side, for drinks and conversation, followed by dinner and a speaker or presentation on a Civil War topic. It also has an annual debate. Each meeting lasts approximately three hours and costs each member $25, meal included.
In addition to regular monthly meetings, its members also take an out-of-town weekend field trip in late September or early October, every year, to battlefields or important Civil War-related sites. Roundtable contingents went to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
, in 1997; Antietam, Maryland, in 1998; Richmond, Virginia
, in 1999; Washington, D.C.
, in 2000; Charleston, South Carolina
, in 2001; Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley
in 2002; Shiloh, Tennessee, in 2003; Franklin, Tennessee
, in 2004; Fredericksburg-Spotsylvania, Virginia, in 2005; and Perryville, Kentucky
and the Underground Railroad
Freedom Center in Cincinnati, Ohio
in 2006. Members also take other field trips on occasion, to nearby sites of interest, and have in recent years visited the James A. Garfield National Historic Site (Lawnfield), President James A. Garfield's home in Mentor, Ohio
; the Western Reserve Historical Society's exhibit on the Civil War, in Cleveland; the new National Civil War Museum
in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
; and the archaeological dig on the site of the former Confederate prisoner of war camp on Johnson's Island
, near Sandusky, Ohio
.
Past speakers have included authors Bruce Catton
, Shelby Foote
and Noah Andre Trudeau, military historian Ed Bearss
, and many others. The Roundtable is now mounting a national grassroots campaign to convince Congress and the U.S. Navy to name a Virginia-class submarine
after the ironclad USS Monitor
. The Monitor fought the Confederate ironclad CSS Virginia to a standstill on March 9, 1862, in the first battle between ironclad warships (see Battle of Hampton Roads
).
All Roundtable events are open to members and guests.
Historical society
A historical society is an organization that collects, researches, interprets and preserves information or items of historical interest. Generally, a historical society focuses on a specific geographical area, such as a county or town or subject, such as aviation or rail. Many historical...
and social group dedicated to the study and discussion of the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
(1861–1865).
The men and women of the Cleveland Civil War Roundtable reflect the ethnic, racial and religious diversity of Greater Cleveland
Greater Cleveland
Greater Cleveland is a nickname for the metropolitan area surrounding Cleveland, Ohio and is part of what used to be the Connecticut Western Reserve.Northeast Ohio refers to a similar but substantially larger area as described below...
. Its approximately one hundred and twenty members range in age from 17 to 94 years old, at every level of interest and historical expertise. Its common bond is the belief that the Civil War was the defining event of American history. It honors those who fought, suffered and died to preserve the Union
Union (American Civil War)
During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty free states and five border slave states. It was opposed by 11 southern slave states that had declared a secession to join together to form the...
, uphold the Constitution
United States Constitution
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It is the framework for the organization of the United States government and for the relationship of the federal government with the states, citizens, and all people within the United States.The first three...
and destroy slavery
Slavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
. It also honors, for their courage and their bravery, those who fought, suffered and died for the cause of Southern Independence
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
, a cause in which they genuinely believed. Further, it celebrates the reunion of the states that comprise the United States -- one nation, indivisible, and one people under one flag.
The Cleveland group is the second-oldest Civil War roundtable
Civil War Roundtable
Civil War Roundtables are a loosely organized group of independent organizations that share a common interest in the study, promotion, and recognition of the American Civil War...
in the country, after Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
's. Since its founding in 1957, its members have met monthly from September to May. It meets at Judson Manor, on Cleveland's East Side, for drinks and conversation, followed by dinner and a speaker or presentation on a Civil War topic. It also has an annual debate. Each meeting lasts approximately three hours and costs each member $25, meal included.
In addition to regular monthly meetings, its members also take an out-of-town weekend field trip in late September or early October, every year, to battlefields or important Civil War-related sites. Roundtable contingents went to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
Gettysburg is a borough that is the county seat, part of the Gettysburg Battlefield, and the eponym for the 1863 Battle of Gettysburg. The town hosts visitors to the Gettysburg National Military Park and has 3 institutions of higher learning: Lutheran Theological Seminary, Gettysburg College, and...
, in 1997; Antietam, Maryland, in 1998; Richmond, Virginia
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
, in 1999; Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, in 2000; Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
, in 2001; Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley
Shenandoah Valley
The Shenandoah Valley is both a geographic valley and cultural region of western Virginia and West Virginia in the United States. The valley is bounded to the east by the Blue Ridge Mountains, to the west by the eastern front of the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians , to the north by the Potomac River...
in 2002; Shiloh, Tennessee, in 2003; Franklin, Tennessee
Franklin, Tennessee
Franklin is a city within and the county seat of Williamson County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 62,487 as of the 2010 census Franklin is located approximately south of downtown Nashville.-History:...
, in 2004; Fredericksburg-Spotsylvania, Virginia, in 2005; and Perryville, Kentucky
Perryville, Kentucky
Perryville is a historical city in western Boyle County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 763 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Danville Micropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
and the Underground Railroad
Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad was an informal network of secret routes and safe houses used by 19th-century black slaves in the United States to escape to free states and Canada with the aid of abolitionists and allies who were sympathetic to their cause. The term is also applied to the abolitionists,...
Freedom Center in Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
in 2006. Members also take other field trips on occasion, to nearby sites of interest, and have in recent years visited the James A. Garfield National Historic Site (Lawnfield), President James A. Garfield's home in Mentor, Ohio
Mentor, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 50,278 people, 18,797 households, and 14,229 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,878.2 people per square mile . There were 19,301 housing units at an average density of 721.0 per square mile...
; the Western Reserve Historical Society's exhibit on the Civil War, in Cleveland; the new National Civil War Museum
National Civil War Museum
The National Civil War Museum, located at One Lincoln Circle at Reservoir Park in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, is a permanent, nonprofit educational institution created to promote the preservation of material culture and sources of information that are directly relevant to the American Civil War of...
in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg is the capital of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 49,528, making it the ninth largest city in Pennsylvania...
; and the archaeological dig on the site of the former Confederate prisoner of war camp on Johnson's Island
Johnson's Island
Johnson's Island is a island in Sandusky Bay, located on the coast of Lake Erie, 3 miles from the city of Sandusky, Ohio. It was the site of a prisoner-of-war camp for Confederate officers captured during the American Civil War. Johnson's Island was the only Union prison exclusively for Southern...
, near Sandusky, Ohio
Sandusky, Ohio
Sandusky is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Erie County. It is located in northern Ohio and is situated on the shores of Lake Erie, almost exactly half-way between Toledo to the west and Cleveland to the east....
.
Past speakers have included authors Bruce Catton
Bruce Catton
Charles Bruce Catton was an American historian and journalist, best known for his books on the American Civil War. Known as a narrative historian, Catton specialized in popular histories that emphasized colorful characters and historical vignettes, in addition to the basic facts, dates, and analyses...
, Shelby Foote
Shelby Foote
Shelby Dade Foote, Jr. was an American historian and novelist who wrote The Civil War: A Narrative, a massive, three-volume history of the war. With geographic and cultural roots in the Mississippi Delta, Foote's life and writing paralleled the radical shift from the agrarian planter system of the...
and Noah Andre Trudeau, military historian Ed Bearss
Ed Bearss
Edwin Cole Bearss , a United States Marine Corps veteran of World War II, is a military historian and author known for his work on the American Civil War and World War II eras and is a popular tour guide of historic battlefields...
, and many others. The Roundtable is now mounting a national grassroots campaign to convince Congress and the U.S. Navy to name a Virginia-class submarine
Virginia class submarine
The Virginia class is a class of nuclear-powered fast attack submarines in service with the United States Navy. The submarines are designed for a broad spectrum of open-ocean and littoral missions...
after the ironclad USS Monitor
USS Monitor
USS Monitor was the first ironclad warship commissioned by the United States Navy during the American Civil War. She is most famous for her participation in the Battle of Hampton Roads on March 9, 1862, the first-ever battle fought between two ironclads...
. The Monitor fought the Confederate ironclad CSS Virginia to a standstill on March 9, 1862, in the first battle between ironclad warships (see Battle of Hampton Roads
Battle of Hampton Roads
The Battle of Hampton Roads, often referred to as either the Battle of the Monitor and Merrimack or the Battle of Ironclads, was the most noted and arguably most important naval battle of the American Civil War from the standpoint of the development of navies...
).
All Roundtable events are open to members and guests.