Each year, Time magazine selects a single person who had the most influence on events during the previous twelve months. If the same question had been posed in the year 1862, who would Time have selected as the Person of the Year? The Museum of the Confederacy and the Library of Virginia invited five historians to consider that question and nominate someone for the title.
Two of the historians campaigned for their candidates in this first half of a two-part program. After each presentation the historian responded to questions from members of the audience. Then he was interviewed remotely from the C-SPAN studios and responded to telephone calls and electronic communications. Mr. Krick nominated General Stonewall Jackson. Professor Blight nominated Frederick Douglass.
The Museum of the Confederacy’s 2012 Symposium was held at the Library of Virginia.