The evening before the 150th anniversary of the attack on Fort Sumter, historians spoke about leadership and the troubling issues of 1861. Edward Ayres projected some graphics as he talked about "The Logic of Secession." Emory Thomas talked about "The Dogs of War."

"A Troubled House: American Leaders and the Issues of 1861" was part of "Why They Fought: Reflections on the 150th Anniversary of the American Civil War," the Lowcountry Civil War Sesquicentennial Observance Lecture Series produced by the Fort Sumter-Fort Moultrie Historical Trust. This program was held in First (Scots) Presbyterian Church in Charleston, S.C.