The Capitol Dome--regular editions

Spring 2013

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USCHS STAFF CHANGES In the past year, there have been a number of changes on the USCHS staff. In the Development/Membership Department, Maggie Esteves and Laurent Piereth have moved on (or out of town). In their stead, Dorothy Meija-Smith is our new Director of Membership Programs and Sarah Lewis has taken over the Development Coordinator spot. In History/Educational Outreach, we bid Joanna Hallac a fond farewell in December. William DiGiacamontonio recently joined the department part-time and is working on research and writing projects. At our front desk, 2013 ANNUAL SYMPOSIUM receptionist Ann McNeil retired in February after training Samantha Neveleff in phone management and merchandise fulfillment. Please join us in a hearty hello to all our new staff members when you see them in the offices or at our events! LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WILL EXAMINE DOMESTIC ISSUES DURING THE CIVIL WAR "Congress, the Home Front, and the Civil War" is the subject of this year's annual symposium. The day-long conference will be held in Room G-50 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill at Constitution Avenue and 1st Street, NE. On May 3 the conference begins at 9:00 and concludes at 4:30 with a reception. The event is free and open to the public but preregistration is requested. You can preregister online at www.uschs.org; via email to uschs@uschs.org; or by calling 202-543-8919 x38. Congressional legislation during the Civil War transformed the nation in many ways. The Homestead Act of 1862 opened large areas of the American West to settlement on more affordable terms. The authorization of the transcontinental railroad not only linked the east and west coasts but 6 THE CAPITOL DOME also stimulated economic growth by providing transport to the vast agricultural and livestock areas of the West. The Morrill Land Grant College Act likewise transformed higher education in ways that were not foreseen at the time. The federal government's role in fiscal policy expanded with the issuance of greenbacks, the National Banking Acts of 1863 and 1864, and the first federal income tax. Symposium Director Paul Finkelman, the President William McKinley Distinguished Professor of Law and Public Policy at Albany Law School, will moderate the conference and present a paper on President Abraham Lincoln's pardon of 264 of the 303 Dakota Indians sentenced to be executed for crimes committed during the Dakota War of 1862. Other speakers include R. Owen Williams, President of Transylvania University, who Calendar of Events May & June 2013 Annual Symposium: Congress, the Home Front, and the Civil War May 3, 9 am to 5pm Dirksen Senate Office Building, Room G50; Washington, DC Free and open to the public. Pre-register: www.uschs.org; or email uschs@uschs.org; or call (202) 543-8919 x38 Luncheon May 17 Speaker: Mike Sommers, chief of staff for Speaker John Boehner For membership levels Constitution Signers and Leadership Council SPRING MEMBER TOURS: Landscape Design of Capitol Square ● May 8 with Superintendent of the Capitol Grounds Ted Bechtol The unfinished Capitol dome formed the backdrop to Lincoln's first inaugural in 1861. The continuation of work on the Capitol during the Civil War bolstered Northern morale as a sign of the Union's strength. the war; Jenny federal judiciary during will discuss the Bourne, professor of economics at Carleton College, on the impact of fiscal legislation; Peter Wallenstein, professor of history at Virginia Tech, on the Land Grant College Act; Kenneth J. Winkle, Thomas C. Sorenson Professor of History at the University of Nebraska, on Congress and emancipation and civil rights in the District of Columbia; and Guy Gugliotta, author of Freedom's Cap, who will discuss the construction of the Capitol as a symbol of Union. Spies of Capitol Hill ● May 14 with Carol Bessette Library of Congress ● May 21 with Chris Keunen Congressional Cemetery ● June 4 with Lauren Maloy Above tours for current USCHS members Reservations required: (202) 543-8919 x19 or email rsvp@uschs.org More information: www.uschs.org July Annual Committee Dinner, honoring the Senate Committee on Finance July 16 Keynote speakers: Hon. Trett Lott and Hon. John Breaux For membership levels Brumidi Society, Constitution Signers, and Leadership Council

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