Presentation on the Civil War and technology that changed American life

PLYMOUTH — Did you know that New Hampshire and Vermont were critical to developing the industrial technology that won the Civil War and went on to change American life profoundly?

Join in on Wednesday, Sept. 14, at 7 p.m. for a ZOOM presentation on “From Guns to Gramophones: Civil War and the Technology That Shaped America,” as historian Carrie Brown explores the technological triumphs that helped save the Union and soon transformed the nation. This virtual presentation, sponsored by the Plymouth Historical Society, will look at the machinery and methods of production that allowed the North to produce so many weapons and that after the war fueled the development of new media and mass consumerism. While this program tells a broad, national story, it focuses on the critical and somewhat surprising role of Vermont and New Hampshire in producing the industrial technology that helped win the war and then reshaped the national economy.

This presentation is based on research done for exhibitions at the American Precision Museum in Windsor, Vermont. Dr. Brown’s original research on the topic led to a new and unexpected finding about the gun makers during the Civil War. The program is funded in part by New Hampshire Humanities.

Dr. Brown holds a Ph.D. in American Literature and Folklore from the University of Virginia. She is an independent scholar who also works as a freelance history curator for museums in New England. She has developed exhibitions on a wide range of topics, including industrial history, transportation, and the Civil War. She delights in finding connections between ordinary people and momentous events.

To register for this program on ZOOM contact Marcia Schmidt Blaine at mblaine@plymouth.edu.