The Civil War and the years leading up to it are among the most studied periods in American history. Many of the interpretations of the coming of the War may be grouped into one of two major schools of thought: Irrepressible Conflict or Blundering Generation. The Irrepressible Conflict school argues that the North and South were becoming such different societies that they could no longer co-exist in one nation, and war was the inevitable consequence. However, the historians of this school do not all agree on what the crucial differences were between North and South. The Blundering Generation school argues that radically different societies can co-exist without going to war. Instead, a series of mistakes and misjudgments by a “blundering generation” of politicians allowed extremists to dominate, leading eventually to war.
Past Exhibits
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April 1, 2011 to September 30, 2011 -
March 1, 2011 to September 30, 2011The history of slavery at William & Mary is almost as old as the university itself. William & Mary owned slaves on its plantation at Nottoway Quarter, leased land to farmers, had slaves cut wood and run errands into Williamsburg, and even let students bring their own slaves to campus (provided they paid a fee).
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October 15, 2010 to September 8, 2011The first gymnasium at William & Mary was the "old gym," which opened in 1900 and served the campus' athletic needs for over two decades before the opening of Blow Gym in 1925.
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January 25, 2011 to April 20, 2011Founded on December 3, 1991, FASA- the Filipino-American Student Association at William & Mary - is celebrating its 20th anniversary as a student organization in 2011.
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January 25, 2011 to April 20, 2011
The Mu Upsilon Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. at the College of William & Mary was chartered on February 7, 1976.
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December 3, 2010 to April 10, 2011For many people, diaries are the province of young girls, who pour out their secret sorrows and then lock them away from the prying eyes of friends and relatives.
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October 15, 2010 to March 22, 2011Since opening, Swem Library has undergone several rounds of renovations and additions, continuing to meet the evolving demands of its public.
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February 19, 2011 to February 21, 2011This exhibit includes original documents and reproductions of documents from the Special Collections Research about the Indian School at William & Mary In conjunction with the Virginia Indian N
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November 23, 2010 to February 7, 2011Most people today know Clement Clarke Moore’s enchanting tale of the mysterious Christmas Eve visitor, St. Nicholas.
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April 27, 2010 to February 7, 2011
The fourth of a series of library exhibits of W&M faculty publications opened in Swem Library in the spring of 2010.