First Defenders Civil War Round Table of Berks County

The 22nd Campaign of the First Defenders Civil War Roundtable is rapidly drawing to a close, but one program remains on May 14th at the Inn at Reading.  Dr. Paul Kahan returns as the featured speaker to discuss the presidency of Ulysses S. Grant and its impact on Reconstruction.

“Sam” Grant did not have an outstanding military or personal reputation at the start of the Civil War, but by its end he was the unquestioned leading light in the North, especially following the death of Abraham Lincoln.  Respected grudgingly in the South, there was little question he would become the 18th president in 1868, and it would fall to him to carry out the tumultuous reconstruction of the country following the war and the erratic, unpopular administration of Andrew Johnson.

Grant’s tenure as the nation’s chief executive has long-been viewed as abysmal, but more recent scholarship has shed new light on him and his accomplishments.  Dr. Kahan has researched Grant’s presidency, and will bring some of these new perceptions to the Roundtable for consideration.

Check out the newsletter online for more, and members can make their dinner reservations as well.  Also, with the final program of the Campaign, the May event will also be a time to elect officers for the upcoming campaign.  Any member is eligible to serve as president, vice president, secretary or treasurer, and this is your opportunity to determine the direction the organization will take during Campaign 23 in 2019-20.  Your support is needed!