Guide to the Civil War Centennial Publications Collection
MSS.2012.03.01
SJSU Special Collections & Archives
2012
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library
San José State University
One Washington Square
San José, CA 95192-0028
special.collections@sjsu.edu
Language of Material:
English
Contributing Institution:
SJSU Special Collections & Archives
Title: Civil War Centennial Publications Collection
Identifier/Call Number: MSS.2012.03.01
Physical Description:
0.42 Linear feet
1 Hollinger Box
Date (inclusive): 1914-1987
Abstract: The Civil War Centennial Publications Collection (1914-1987, bulk 1961-1964) consists of maps, pamphlets and publications
related to the American Civil War Centennial. In 1957, an act of Congress created the United States Civil War Centennial Commission
and a national public commemoration of the Civil War. The Commission was asked to work with each of the forty-eight U.S. states
to create state-level commissions to commemorate the war, and to coordinate Centennial activities. Commemoration activities
began in 1957, four years prior to the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Fort Sumter, and ended in 1965 with the 100th anniversary
of the surrender at Appomattox. This collection documents the state commissions for Georgia, Kentucky, Illinois, Ohio, Louisiana,
Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia.
This collection is arranged into a single series and organized by format and by state: Series I: Civil War Centennial Publications,
1914-1987 (Bulk 1961-1964).
Access
The collection is open for research.
Publication Rights
Copyright has not been assigned to the San José State University Library Special Collections & Archives. All requests for
permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Director of Special Collections. Permission
for publication is given on behalf of the SJSU Special Collections & Archives as the owner of the physical items and is not
intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the reader. Copyright restrictions
also apply to digital reproductions of the original materials. Use of digital files is restricted to research and educational
purposes.
Preferred Citation
Civil War Centennial Publications Collection MSS-2012-03-01, San José State University Library Special Collections & Archives.
Processing Information
Processed by Madison Burgess. Finding aid created in the Archivst Toolkit. Reviewed by Danelle Moon.
Historical Note
The causes for the American Civil War were due to a variety of issues including the election of Republican President Abraham
Lincoln, the political tension surrounding slavery, and state versus federal rights. The Republican Party was determined to
prevent any spread of slavery and many Southern leaders had threatened secession if the Republican candidate, Lincoln won
the election in 1860. After Lincoln's victory, many Southern whites felt that secession had become their only option. The
Southerners saw themselves as fighting to preserve slavery. The Northerners, in contrast, saw themselves as preserving the
Union and not abolishing slavery. The American Civil War was fought between the Union (the Northern States) and the Confederate
(the Southern States), from 1861-1864.
Scope and Content of Collection
The Civil War Centennial Publications Collection (1914-1987, bulk 1961-1964) consists of maps, pamphlets and publications
related to the American Civil War Centennial Commission authorized by Congress in 1957. The Commission was asked to work with
each of the forty-eight U.S. states to create state-level commissions to commemorate the war, and to coordinate Centennial
activities. Commemoration activities began in 1957, four years prior to the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Fort Sumter,
and ended in 1965 with the 100th anniversary of the surrender at Appomattox. This collection documents the state commissions
for Georgia, Kentucky, Illinois, Ohio, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee,
Texas, and Virginia.
Arrangement
This collection is arranged into a single series and organized by format and by state: Series I: Civil War Centennial Publications,
1914-1987 (Bulk 1961-1964).
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Civil War Centennial Commission (U.S.)
Civil War Centennial Publications
1914-1987
Scope and Content of Collection
This series consists of maps, pamphlets and publications commemorating the American Civil War (1861-1864). Of note are maps
of the battle fields of Shiloh, Fredericksburg, Chickamauga, and Harrisonburg. Publications and pamphlets include historical
accounts of battles from both Southern and Northern perspectives, as well as reports published by the Civil War Centennial
Commissions of Texas, Mississippi, Missouri, and Illinois, which give a comprehensive view of daily life, politics, and military
campaigns during the war. Also included is information on several persons of interest, such as Confederate State Generals
Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson and Union State Generals Benjamin Butler, Ulysses S. Grant, and William Sooy Smith.
Arrangement
This collection is arranged into a single series and organized by format and by state: Series I: Civil War Centennial Publications,
1914-1987 (Bulk 1961-1964).
Physical description
1 box
Box 1, Folder 1
Maps of Civil War battles by state
Box 1, Folder 2
Northern States Publications (Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania)
1961-1987
Box 1, Folder 3
Southern States Publications (Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and South Carolina)
1940-1968
Box 1, Folder 4
Southern States Publications (Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia)
1914-1964
