Dwight Pitcaithley will present “Amending the Constitution on the Eve of the Civil War” at 1 p.m. May 4, 2019 at the Branigan Cultural Center, 501 N. Main St.
Discover the impact of one of the most important documents in relation to one of the most pivotal moments in U.S. history, the Civil War. Dr. Pitcaithley will guide participants through the process, the opposition, and the eventual success that crafted the Constitution that we know today.
Pitcaithley studied history at Eastern New Mexico University before obtaining his doctorate degree from Texas Tech University in 1976. He had a distinguished 30-year career with the National Park Service, 10 years as Chief Historian. He has served on the National Council on Public History as well as authoring numerous publications, such as: The U.S. Constitution and Secession: A Documentary Anthology of Slavery and White Supremacy (2018), Slavery and Public History: The Tough Stuff of American Memory (2006), and Public History and the Environment (2004). He now serves as a professor of history at New Mexico State University.
The lecture coincides with the current exhibit, Amending America: The Bill of Rights, which is on display through May 25, 2019. The exhibit is organized by the National Archives and Records Administration and is made available by the National Archives Traveling Exhibits Service (NATES). This exhibition was developed in collaboration with the National Archives’ National Outreach Initiative to commemorate the 225th Anniversary of the Bill of Rights. The exhibition is presented in part by AT&T, HISTORYⓇ, Seedlings Foundation, and the National Archives Foundation.
Admission to the Branigan Cultural Center is free, as is this lecture. The Branigan Cultural Center is open from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and from 9 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Saturday. For information, call 575/541-2154.