Event Detail

Back to Events
The Field of Blood: Violence in Congress and the Road to Civil War
  • Date: Friday, October 05, 2018
  • Time: 4:00 pm
  • Location: William G. McGowan Theater, Washington, DC

Joanne B. Freeman discusses the long-lost story of physical violence on the floor of the U.S. Congress and shows how the Capitol was rife with conflict in the decades before the Civil War. Legislative sessions were often punctuated with threats, canings, fist-fights, beatings, intimidation, drawn knives, and pistols, mostly resulting over the issue of slavery.

A book signing will follow the program. Purchase this book on the day of the event from the National Archives Store and receive a 15% discount (members get 20% off).

All public programs at the National Archives are free and streamed live online via the National Archives’ YouTube channel. Reservations are recommended; seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. The doors to the building will open 45 minutes prior to the start of the program. Use the Special Events entrance on the corner of Constitution Avenue and 7th Street, NW. Click here for more information on getting to the National Archives and parking.

Live captioning will be available online and in the William G. McGowan Theater. If you require an alternative or additional accommodation for an event (such as a downloadable transcript or a sign language interpreter), please send an email to public.program@nara.gov or call 202.357.5000 in advance.