Symposium Spotlight: Bert Dunkerly

Over the next several weeks we’ll be introducing you to the 2018 ECW Symposium full line-up of speakers. You’ll not only be able to learn a little bit more about the outstanding historians and speakers that will presenting at the symposium, but we have also asked each of them to give us a little preview of their presentation. We begin this week with Robert Dunkerly. He will be exploring our theme for this year’s symposium, Turning Points, as our first speaker Friday evening.

A sweeping presentation on an overview of turning points during the war, Bert writes, “The generation that experienced the Civil War lived though complex and ever-shifting events and trends.  Social, economic, political, and military events were intertwined and each affected the other.  The concept of turning points is appealing as it makes events easy to define and provides clear cut boundaries, the reality is that events unfolded with either gradual changes or lighting fast jolts.  I intend to explore these concepts and suggest ways to interpret the events of the war.”

Robert M. Dunkerly is a historian, award-winning author, and speaker who is actively involved in historic preservation and research.  He holds a degree in History from St. Vincent College and a Masters in Historic Preservation from Middle Tennessee State University.  He has worked at nine historic sites, written seven books and over twenty articles.  His research includes archaeology, colonial life, military history, and historic commemoration.  Dunkerly is currently a Park Ranger at Richmond National Battlefield Park.  He has visited over 400 battlefields and over 1,000 historic sites worldwide.  When not reading or writing, he enjoys hiking, camping, and photography.

If you have not purchased your tickets for the Fifth Annual Emerging Civil War Symposium, you can find them, and all information about the symposium, here.