Quarterly Lecture Series
Each year, the East Tennessee Historical Society provides quarterly lectures that showcase our region's rich history and culture. Topics range from the early settlements to the tragdy of the Civil War and the dramatic federal projects of the twentieth century, focusin on the extraordinary events from our past and the everyday lives of the people of East Tennessee.
Unless otherwise noted, Quarterly Lectures are free and open to the public and are held in the auditorium of the East Tennessee History Center in Knoxville.
Quarterly Lectures 2007
July 29
Quarterly Lecture, 2 p.m. – “Lincolnites and Rebels: A Divided Town in the American Civil War,” Dr. Robert Tracy McKenzie, University of Washington
Throughout the Civil War, Knoxville Tennessee endured military occupation for all but three days, first by Confederate troops and then during the last half of the war by Union troops. The city was the scene of a seige and battle. and was home to a population that was bitterly divided in its loyalties. In Lincolnites and Rebels, Dr. Tracy McKenzie recounts Knoxville's Civil War story, and the complex ways in which the divided allegiances impacted the town and the people.
Dr. Robert Tracy MCKenzie is professor of history at the University of Washington and the author of One South of Many? Plantation Belt and Upcountry in Civil War-Era Tennessee.
August 26
Quarterly Lecture, 2 p.m. – “Power of a Dream: Historic Rugby, Tennessee,” Barbara Stagg, director, Historic Rugby
One of the most unique stories in East Tennessee history is the social experiment on the Cumberland Plateau that was Rugby. Under the leadership of Thomas Hughes, a well-known English author, a community was established in the 1880s as a refuge for upper-class Englishmen who, because they were not the eldest son, would receive no inheritance and had few options for a "socially-acceptable" career. While the community itself struggled and ultimatmely failed, its impact on the surrounding countryside was significant and in fact continues today. Barbara Stagg, executive director of Historic Rugby, will discuss the development of the colony and its ongoing influence, highlighted by a special presentation of the award winning video "Power of a Dream." Ms Stagg will also discuss her recent book, Historic Rugby, Tennessee.