The views and opinions expressed in this presentation do not necessarily reflect those of the Alabama Department of Archives and History.
In the years following the Civil War, the klansman, carpetbagger, scalawag, and freedman each held conflicting understandings of the definition of freedom in the American South. Using a stark and iconic political cartoon called A Prospective Scene that first appeared in Tuscaloosa’s Independent Monitor newspaper, author G.Ward Hubbs will discuss how these differing ideas of freedom help explain many of the struggles of Reconstruction and subsequent periods of Alabama’s history. G. Ward Hubbs has written extensively on 19th century Alabamians, especially during the Civil War years. His book, Guarding Greensboro: A Confederate Company in the Making of a Southern Community, won two
national awards, including the 2003 Jefferson Davis Award for the most outstanding book on the Civil War era. Searching for Freedom after the Civil War: Klansman, Carpetbagger, Scalawag, and Freedman was published by the University of Alabama Press in 2015. Hubbs is currently professor emeritus at Birmingham Southern College and archivist for the North Alabama Conference of the United Methodist Church.
Food for Thought is made possible by the Friends of the Alabama Archives and a grant from the Alabama Humanities Foundation, a state program of the National Endowment for the Humanities. The public is invited to bring a brown bag lunch. Complimentary beverages are provided. Admission to Food for Thought is
always FREE.
The Alabama Department of Archives and History is located in downtown Montgomery, directly across the street from the State Capitol. It is the state’s government records repository, special collections library and research facility, and is home to the Museum of Alabama, the state history museum. The Archives and Museum are open Monday through Saturday, 8:30 to 4:30. To learn more, visit www.archives.alabama.gov or call (334) 242-4364