Sept. 9, 2016
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Historian Greg Carroll will present “Reconstruction in West Virginia, 1865-1875: A Failure that Led to Future Mistakes” in the Archives and History Library at the Culture Center, State Capitol Complex in Charleston, on Thursday, Sept. 15. The program begins at 6:00 p.m. and is free and open to the public.
The State of West Virginia was formed in 1863 by a Republican elite that was quickly overwhelmed by a Democratic backlash after the Civil War and voted out of power by 1870. The reactionary return to courthouse clique control of the state led to the eventual takeover of natural resources by out-of-state interests. According to Carroll, the Reconstruction period laid the foundation for a colonial economy and an abusive labor system, which created the boom-and-bust cycle that continues to shape West Virginia’s present-day economy.
Greg Carroll was a historian for the West Virginia State Archives for 23 years. A native of Texas, he is a long-time resident of Putnam County. Carroll is a graduate of the University of Texas and Marshall University, has studied Native American and Civil War history in West Virginia, and has traveled throughout the state to speak on these topics. He also serves on the boards of the West Virginia International Film Festival and West Virginia Citizen Action Group.
For additional information about the Archives and History lecture series, contact the Archives and History Library at (304) 558-0230.
Patrons may park behind the Culture Center after 5:00 p.m. on Sept. 15 and enter the building at the back loading dock area. There also is limited handicapped parking available in the new bus turnaround. Visitors parking there should enter at the front of the building.
The West Virginia Division of Culture and History is an agency within the West Virginia Department of Education and the Arts with Kay Goodwin, Cabinet Secretary. The division, led by Commissioner Randall Reid-Smith, brings together the past, present and future through programs and services focusing on archives and history, arts, historic preservation and museums. For more information about the division’s programs, events and sites, visit www.wvculture.org. The Division of Culture and History is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.
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