June 10, 2026 12:00 PM –1:00 PM
History Is Lunch: Charles Dew, “Why Mississippi Left the Union: Answers from the Secession Commissioners”
At noon on Wednesday, June 10, Charles Dew, Ephraim Williams Professor of American History, Emeritus, at Williams College, will present an analysis of speeches and letters from state-appointed commissioners who traveled across the South to rally support for disunion, as part of the History Is Lunch series. Dew’s book, Apostles of Disunion: Southern Secession Commissioners and the Causes of the Civil War, discusses how Mississippi played a central role in the secessionist movement in the months leading up to the Civil War. This free event will take place in the Craig H. Neilsen Auditorium of the Two Mississippi Museums and will stream live on the MDAH Facebook page and YouTube channel. Copies of Dew’s book, Apostles of Disunion, will be available for purchase, and a book signing will follow.