Symposium Spotlight: 2026 Symposium “generated a real hope that the field of Civil War studies is alive and well”

“The 2026 ECW symposium was a revelation—marked by enthusiastic attendees, a beautiful setting for a conference, and, above all, a roster of engaging and knowledgeable speakers. These ’emerging’ scholars not only provided thought-provoking research and fresh analysis, they generated real hope that the field of Civil War studies is alive and well—capable of inspiring new scholarship and connecting large audiences with popular history. It was a pleasure to attend the ’26 conference, and a privilege to participate as a keynoter, knowing that I ‘emerged’ quite a few decades ago but still have a few things to contribute, and much to learn.”
– Harold Holzer

This was part of a note that Harold Holzer emailed to both Neil Chatelain and Chris Mackowki following the 2026 Emerging Civil War Symposium. We were happy to host both Harold and our other keynote, the late Craig Symonds, and are happy that they enjoyed the event.

They were not the only ones who did so. Many attendees took time to speak with ECW members throughout the weekend to let us know how enjoyable the symposium was. At each symposium, we also pass out comment forms. These let us gauge how people react to speakers, but also let us see what is working and what is not. Here are a few general comments from those feedback forms:

• “Excellent as always. I’ll be back next August.”
• “Great speakers as usual. Good selection of books. Everything well organized. I will be back next year.”
• “Our First Time. Really Enjoyed it and have already signed up for 2027.”
• “This is one of the very best events to attend every year. Keep up the great work.”
• “ECW symposium never disappoints. The planning and coordination cannot be surpassed.”
• “It keeps getting better and better. Thanks! Having Holzer and Symonds team before and after lunch worked very well. See you next year.”

There was also high praise for our host of speakers. Here are some highlights about each speaker’s presentation:

• Neil Chatelain’s Presentation: “Best talk I’ve ever heard on the Civil War & the Mississippi River.”
• Evan Portman’s Presentation: “Introduced to me a side of Chamberlain I was not aware of, but made sense from a human nature stand point.”
• Angie Zombeck’s Presentation: “A great addition to the team. This is a subject hardly ever addressed and is almost forgotten part of the war. Enjoyed it immensely.”
• Curt Fields’s Discussion: “Excellent as always! Curt’s extensive knowledge to be able to talk ‘off the cuff’ is always impressive.”
• Patrick Kelly-Fischer’s Presentation: “Such details! I had not known so much about the ‘other’ Confederacy of the southwest.”
• Craig Symonds: “Dr. Symonds is wonderful. Major reason I attended.”
• Harold Holzer: “Great lens for comparing Lincoln/Davis. Just want you’d expect from the foremost Lincoln scholar of our time. Thank you for bringing him here for us to hear.”
• Kris White: “Loved it. Very exciting delivery. I could listen to him for hours.”
• Tim Smith (of the East): “Great insight into a needed topic. Well done.”

Hopefully we will see you at next year’s symposium as well. We’ll soon be announcing our full line-up of ECW speakers for our 2027 Symposium, and hopefully you will be able to join us. Our theme for 2027 will be “Crime and Punishment,” with keynote speaker Jim Hessler. The event will be held August 6–8, 2026, at Stevenson Ridge on the Spotsylvania Court House battlefield.

Information about the 2027 Emerging Civil War Symposium can be found here. Early bird tickets are on sale for $275 for the entire weekend. That price is good through December 31.