'Voting on the War: The 1863 Alabama Election' by Ben Severance

The views and opinions expressed in this presentation do not necessarily reflect those of the Alabama Department of Archives and History.

In 1863, during the height of the Civil War, Alabamians participated in a crucial election. The war was not going well for the Confederacy and the ballot box afforded Alabama’s electorate an opportunity to voice its opinion by either electing men who would press on to victory, or men who would seek a negotiated peace with the Union. Despite indications of anxiety and doubt, the voters affirmed Alabama’s dedication to seeing the conflict through to the end. This presentation profiled the politicians who led Alabama through this grueling ordeal and explain why most of them retained the people’s confidence and were reelected.

A former officer in the U.S. Army, Dr. Ben Severance joined the faculty at Auburn University at Montgomery in August 2005. His specialties are the Civil War, Reconstruction, Antebellum America, and American Military History. Dr. Severance has published two books: Tennessee’s Radical Army: The State Guard and Its Role in Reconstruction, 1867-1869 and Portraits of Conflict: A Photographic History of Alabama in the Civil War. He is currently writing a book on Alabama’s political climate during the Civil War.

Food for Thought 2019 is made possible by the Friends of the Alabama Archives and a grant from the Alabama Humanities Foundation, a state program of the National Endowment for the Humanities. The public is invited to bring a brown bag lunch. Complimentary beverages are provided. Admission to Food for Thought is always FREE.