A conference at the University of Worcester will examine how ordinary men and women used their voices during wartime to either support or criticise government policy.
It takes place at the University of Worcester’s St John’s Campus on Saturday, November 11 and will coincide with a free public exhibition between the 3rd and 13th of November at The Hive in Worcester.
Focussing on the United States’ military actions, presentations will be given on a variety of conflicts including the War of Independence, the Civil War, World War Two, the Korean War and the Vietnam War to provide a comprehensive analysis of the US public’s reaction to conflict.
The keynote address will be delivered by Dr Andrew Johnstone from the University of Leicester, focusing on the ‘most savage national debate’.
The discussions between 1939 and 1941 in response to the outbreak of war in Europe involved a diverse array of people and arguments and Dr Johnstone’s talk will focus on these voices, the political coalitions they represented and the organisations they created.
The ‘ordinary’ people under examination represent a diverse range of political persuasions and ethnicities, including conscientious objectors, Welsh Americans, conservative women, planter women, active-duty servicepeople, Japanese Americans, intellectuals and activists.
Joseph Rix is the one of the coordinators of the events and is also going to be speaking at the conference. He says: “The conference and exhibition will work in conjunction to offer a fascinating historical insight into the way that ‘ordinary’ Americans responded, either positively or negatively, to the outbreak and development of conflict.”
“It’s an opportunity to come and see a side of war which is often overlooked but is vital in order to understand how conflict was received by those who had little say in the matter” says Joseph. He adds: “The conference is designed to provide people with access to some of the most new and exciting historical research on the wars of the United States, while the exhibition at The Hive will give physical representation to the conference and take visitors back in time to see how people like us responded to war.”
To book a place at the Conference, search for ‘Pro and Anti War’ on the University’s website. The fee for attending is £20. Concessions £10 and £8 for University undergraduates.
The exhibition at The Hive will be completely free for the entire duration.