• Dedicated to exploring the history and culture of the American South through research and public programs.
The University of Alabama Press invites scholars, archivists, and other researchers to participate in an unprecedented initiative to create a comprehensive reference guide to all publicly-accessible collections of Civil War manuscript materials housed in local, state and national institutions around the country and the world.
In its first phase, the Civil War Manuscript Working Group will begin by surveying collections in the southern states; the initiative will later expand to include collections elsewhere in the U.S. and the world. Building on a firm foundation well underway in Georgia, and continuing now in Alabama, state-by-state teams of researchers will visit county historical societies, state archives, special collections rooms and other unique collections in a coordinated effort to survey and describe each institution's holdings in accordance with guidelines developed by the project's senior editorial board. Additional assistance and administrative support will be provided by UA's Frances S. Summersell Center for the Study of the South and the University of Alabama Press.
Once published, the continuously evolving bibliographic database will reflect the expanding scope of the survey, and will document the latest discoveries as new materials and sources continue to come to light. Through a customizable search feature, the database will give scholars and enthusiasts a powerful new data-mining tool to assist in identifying and locating primary sources relevant to each individual's field of research.
Members of the Alabama Historical Society are encouraged to become involved in this ambitious, groundbreaking undertaking, which seeks to become the go-to guide to every repository of information pertaining to military, political, civilian, and domestic life during the U.S. Civil War.
“The past is not dead. In fact, it's not even past.” — William Faulkner