The History Department was honored to host noted Civil War historian, Dr. Victoria Bynum, for a pair of departmental events this March.

The Department hosted a screening of the 2016 film The Free State of Jones, based on her 2001 work The Free State of Jones: Mississippi’s Longest Civil War. Following the screening was a Q&A discussion with Dr. Bynum, as she examined the film’s strengths and weaknesses as an adaptation of her research, as well as provided more information on the real-life events in Jones County.

The following day, Dr. Bynum joined us again for an informal breakfast talk with faculty and graduate students. Dr. Bynum elaborated on the process of having a work of research turned into a film, and discussed her own education and career path, as well as current events and present trends in historical scholarship.

Thank you so much to Dr. Bynum for visiting the Department! And thank you to Dr. Lesley Gordon, Summersell Chair, for arranging this visit.