Indiana State University Newsroom

A panel discussion by three Indiana State University professors from noon to 1 p.m. March 21, will conclude the six-week exhibit, "Lincoln: The Constitution and the Civil War," at Cunningham Memorial Library.

Titled "The Civil War as Constitutional Crisis," the forum will explore three broad topics - secession and states' rights, civil liberties and war powers - and how they are both historically and currently relevant, said forum moderator Christopher Olsen.

Because this brown-bag luncheon is the conclusion of the Lincoln exhibit, Olsen said he hopes attendees will have had the opportunity visit the exhibit and be ready for an informal, yet robust, discussion. "It will give a lot of people the chance to ask questions," said Olsen, chair of the history department.

Other panelists include William Giffin, professor of history, David Nichols, associate professor of history, and Matthew Bergbower, assistant professor of political science . The program is free and open to the public; refreshments will be served.

The Lincoln exhibit, which features panels with copies of documents such as a draft of Lincoln's first inaugural speech, the Emancipation Proclamation and the 13th Amendment, was made possible by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. The traveling exhibit is organized by the National Constitution Center and the American Library Association Public Programs Office.

"Lincoln: The Constitution and the Civil War" is sponsored by the library and history department. The exhibit will remain on display through the March 21 event.

Photos: http://isuphoto.smugmug.com/Events/Events-by-Year/2014/Lincoln-Library-Exhibit/i-kZStTQf/0/X3/February%2010%2C%202014lincoln0626-X3.jpg

Contact: Christopher Olsen, professor and chair, department of history, Indiana State University, 812-237-2710 or Christopher.Olsen@indstate.edu

Writer: Libby Roerig, media relations assistant director, Office of Communications and Marketing, Indiana State University, 812-237-3790 or libby.roerig@indstate.edu