The River Ridge String Band will once again take center stage at the Missouri State Archives. This musically versatile group, comprised of John Cunning, Charlie Nelson, Cliff White and Molly White, combines the hammered dulcimer, mandolin, guitar, banjo, accordion, vocals and folk percussion instruments to produce an interesting mix of traditional Irish music and old-time fiddle tunes. Most of the band’s repertoire originated as dance tunes in Scotland, Ireland and England. All the jigs, reels and hornpipes they play were part of country dances in the British Isles. Today, these “fiddle tunes” are the mainstay for a form of American folk dance known as contra dancing and are played during traditional Irish and Scottish gatherings known as ceilidhs. Along with these tunes, the band adds a few classic Bluegrass songs and a variety of ballads and waltzes to create music that is enjoyable for all ages.

On July 26, 1948, President Harry S. Truman issued Executive Order 9981, bringing an end to racial segregation within the ranks of the United States military forces. His decision surprised both liberals and conservatives. By the end of the Korean War in 1953, the U.S. military was almost completely desegregated. As a result of this and other acts, Truman's contribution to civil rights is generally viewed as significant. However, there are some historians who disagree. The essays in The Civil Rights Legacy of Harry S. Truman include the diverse perspectives of historians, political scientists, a member of Truman's White House staff and descendants of slaves, including General Colin Powell, Congressman John Lewis and former Congresswoman Carrie Meek. Editor Raymond Geselbracht will share this dialog and examine the meaning of some of President Truman's most important decisions and the foundation they laid for later civil rights achievements.  

The Missouri State Archives holds almost two million pages of Civil War and Reconstruction-era records obtained from the Office of the Adjutant General. Included in these records are Confederate and Union muster rolls, Confederate pensions, signed loyalty oaths, company and regimental orders, service cards, registers of officers and troops of the Home Guard, the Enrolled Missouri Militia, volunteers, records of troops of color, and court martial papers. However, many of these records are not fully indexed, making them difficult to use. Senior Reference Archivist Patsy Luebbert will discuss how best to approach research using these records. She will also explore more readily accessible resources at the Archives, such as the Soldiers' Records: War of 1812 - World War I, Missouri’s Union Provost Marshal Papers: 1861-1866, and the Missouri Supreme Court Historical Database, which provide further insight into the fractured history of Missouri during the Civil War.

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In the spring of 1861, tens of thousands of young men formed military companies and offeredto fight for their country. By the end of the Civil War, nearly half of the adult male population of the North and a staggering 90 percent of eligible white males in the South had joined the military. With their husbands, sons and fathers away, many women took on additional duties and faced alone the ordeal of having their homes occupied by enemy troops. During occupation, the home front and the battlefield merged to create an unanticipated second front where civilians, mainly women, resisted what they perceived as unjust domination. In Occupied Women, 12 distinguished historians consider how women’s reactions to occupation affected both the strategies of military leaders and ultimately even the outcome of the Civil War. Contributor and editor LeeAnn Whites, will examine the common experiences of occupied women and address the unique situations faced by women during the Civil War, both Union and Confederate.