News & Events

5th Annual Conference on America's Founding Principles & History.

(Newport News, VA) - Christopher Newport University’s Center for American Studies (CAS) will host the fifth annual Conference on America's Founding Principles and History, Feb. 22-23, 2012. The title of this year’s conference is "Lincoln, the Constitution and the Nation at War." All sessions and related events are free and open to the public. Reservations are required for the reception on Feb. 22.As part of the conference, CNU students are invited to submit a paper (1,400-1,600 words) about Abraham Lincoln, the Civil War, constitutional rights during wartime, federalism or a related topic for possible inclusion in the panel. Documentary films (10-15 minutes in length) on the same topics will also be considered. CAS will select up to five submissions to be presented at a student panel on Feb. 22. Pulitzer Prize- winning historian Mark E. Neely Jr. will comment on the student presentations. Winners will be awarded a $250 prize. For complete details, visit http://www.cnu.edu/news/pdf/CallForPapers.pdf.

Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2012
2:30 p.m. Student Panel,
The Freeman Center, Room 101

4 p.m. BB&T Colloquium Series on Capitalism
The Freeman Center, Gaines Theatre
Mark Thornton, Ludwig von Mises Institute

5 - 5:30 p.m. Reception,
The Freeman Center, Room 101

Thursday, Feb. 23, 2012
9:30 - 10:45 a.m., Session 1: Lincoln and American Democracy,
DSU Ballroom
Eric C. Sands, Berry College
Lucas Morel, Washington and Lee University

11 a.m.. - 12:15 p.m., Session 2: Lincoln and the Union,
DSU Ballroom
Elizabeth Varon, University of Virginia
Gary W. Gallagher, University of Virginia

2 - 3:45 p.m., Session 3: Lincoln as Commander in Chief,
DSU Ballroom
Speaker: Benjamin Kleinerman, Michigan State University
Speaker: Mark E. Neely Jr., Pennsylvania State University

4 - 5:15 p.m., Keynote Address: "Does He Belong to the Ages?"
DSU Ballroom
Allen C. Guelzo, Gettysburg College

The Center for American Studies
The Center for American Studies, part of CNU's Department of Leadership and American Studies, is an interdisciplinary initiative that promotes teaching and scholarship on America’s founding principles and history, economic foundations, and national security. A nonpartisan center, CAS sponsors programming, curricular development and research at the undergraduate and postdoctoral levels to promote sensible notions of liberty and civic responsibility. For more information, visit cas.cnu.edu.