History Talks

Women’s Army Corps: Marching into History

Wednesday, March 6, 2024 | 12 p.m. ET | Virtual

Wednesday, March 13, 2024 | 12 p.m. ET | Virtual and In-person

Wednesday, March 20, 2024 | 12 p.m. ET | Virtual

Discover how women in World War II ushered in new economic and social changes that would forever alter the role of women in American society.

Following the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States mobilized for war. The Women’s Army Corps brought women into the effort.

Female Soldiers were lauded for their professionalism and commitment. However, as the war dragged on and women’s roles expanded, social pressure to conform to traditional gender roles challenged WAC Soldiers. Some women, burned out by the intensity of wartime service, looked forward to a post-war life built on domesticity. Others hoped to transition into civilian jobs. A few would have liked to build Army careers. A society that accepted women in emergency wartime service proved resistant to permanent change.

Women’s military service was scheduled to end with the war. Recognizing women’s valuable service, military leaders lobbied Congress to make it permanent. In 1948, President Truman signed the Women’s Armed Services Integration Act. The Act granted women the right to serve as permanent, regular members in all four branches of the military.

Since 1948, the scope of women’s military service has expanded. Today, all military occupational specialties, including combat roles, are open to women. Women’s World War II military service kicked open the door that generations of female Soldiers have since marched through.

Register for the Virtual History Talk on March 6 at 12 p.m. ET.

This program is offered virtually and in-person on Wednesday, March 13. In-person seats are limited and available on a first come, first served basis. 

Register for the VIRTUAL History Talk on March 13 at 12 p.m. ET.

Register for the IN-PERSON History Talk on March 13 at 12 p.m. ET.

Register for the Virtual History Talk on March 20 at 12 p.m. ET.

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A Force to be Reckoned With: Union Army Soldiers and Southern Civilians During Sherman’s March

Wednesday, April 3, 2024 | 12 p.m. ET | Virtual

Wednesday, April 10, 2024 | 12 p.m. ET | Virtual

Wednesday, April 17, 2024 | 12 p.m. ET | Virtual and In-person

Between November 1864 and April 1865, Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman and his Army wrecked havoc on the land and people of Georgia and the Carolinas. Their goal: to make the South — its army and its citizens — regret seceding from the Union. Along the way, Sherman’s men had countless interactions with Southern civilians — some good, some bad, and some surprising.

As they combed along the countryside, Soldiers’ determination for retribution was matched only by Southerners’ refusal to cower. Using the diaries, letters, and memoirs of Union Army Soldiers and southern civilians, this History Talk will trace Sherman’s troop movements as they left Atlanta, traveled to Savannah, and eventually captured Columbia.

Register for the Virtual History Talk on April 3 at 12 p.m. ET.

Register for the Virtual History Talk on April 10 at 12 p.m. ET.

This program is offered virtually and in-person on Wednesday, April 17. In-person seats are limited and available on a first come, first served basis. 

Register for the VIRTUAL History Talk on April 17 at 12 p.m. ET.

Register for the IN-PERSON History Talk on April 17 at 12 p.m. ET.

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“Can’t Anything Stop these Men?”: U.S. Army Paratroopers Creating Turning Points

Wednesday, May 8, 2024 | 12 p.m. ET | Virtual

Wednesday, May 15, 2024 | 12 p.m. ET | Virtual

Wednesday, May 22, 2024 | 12 p.m. ET | Virtual and In-person

Just after midnight on June 6, 1944, American paratroopers were dropped behind enemy lines to prepare for an invasion force that would arrive at dawn. The Soldiers’ mission was to capture roadways and establish river crossings to support the D-Day invasion. The use of airborne troops, a vital of part the Allies’ campaign plans, was born out of wartime necessity.

Army airborne units were developed to support the concept of vertical envelopment, or the ability to strike an enemy from behind when ground forces could not go around prepared defenses. Born out of response to German success in Holland and Greece, the U.S. Army grew its airborne units from a small test platoon in 1940, through battalion and regimental combat in North Africa and Italy, to multiple combat ready divisions by D-Day. Following the invasion, airborne troops would be deployed during Operation Market Garden and the Battle of the Bulge and earned a reputation for changing the battlefield as soon as they entered it.

Explore how the U.S. Army developed new technology, training, and strategies to overcome challenges and accomplish the mission. Learn how Army airborne troops contributed to Allied turning points during World War II.

Register for the Virtual History Talk on May 8 at 12 p.m. ET.

Register for the Virtual History Talk on May 15 at 12 p.m. ET.

This program is offered virtually and in-person on Wednesday, May 22. In-person seats are limited and available on a first come, first served basis. 

Register for the VIRTUAL History Talk on May 22 at 12 p.m. ET.

Register for the IN-PERSON History Talk on May 22 at 12 p.m. ET.

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The Long Road to Freedom: The U.S. Army and Juneteenth

Wednesday, June 5, 2024 | 12 p.m. ET | Virtual

Wednesday, June 12, 2024 | 12 p.m. ET | Virtual

Wednesday, June 19, 2024 | 12 p.m. ET | Virtual and In-person

In June 1865, Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas with roughly 2,000 Union Soldiers. Though his main goal was to bring an end to the Civil War and welcome Texas back into the Union, he had another objective. On June 19, Granger issued General Orders No. 3 declaring that “the people of Texas are informed in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States all slaves are free.” While the Emancipation Proclamation issued by President Abraham Lincoln legally freed slaves throughout the Confederate States, Texas resisted for two years. Granger’s order had the effect of liberating 250,000 people who had been in enslaved in Texas.

Juneteenth, alternatively known as Jubilee Day and Emancipation Day, became one of multiple local holidays commemorating the official end of slavery at different points throughout the South. For the Army, it also honors Black Soldiers who fought and scarified to ensure the Constitution fulfilled its promise to all Americans.

In this History Talk, discover the role of the U.S. Army in the liberation of enslaved persons throughout the Confederacy. Explore the courageous, selfless, and dedicated service by Black Soldiers that cemented the gains provided by the Civil War and opened the door to widespread military service for Black men in the U.S. Army.

Register for the Virtual History Talk on June 5 at 12 p.m. ET.

Register for the Virtual History Talk on June 12 at 12 p.m. ET.

This program is offered virtually and in-person on Wednesday, June 19. In-person seats are limited and available on a first come, first served basis. 

Register for the VIRTUAL History Talk on June 19 at 12 p.m. ET.

Register for the IN-PERSON History Talk on June 19 at 12 p.m. ET.

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