NextThreeDays: Event Display

Program: German Baptist Brethren, Faith & The Unionist Underground Railroad
Venue: The Floyd Center for the Arts, Floyd
Directions: Google Map Link
Date: Saturday, November 18, 2023
Time: 10:30 - 11:30 AM
Event Types: Speaking Engagements
Cost: Free

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Description:
The Floyd Country Historical Society presents the program "German Baptist Brethren, Faith & The Unionist Underground Railroad: A story of faith, bravery, non-violence, and martyrdom during the Civil War" on Saturday, November 18, 2023 at The Floyd Center for the Arts.

Dr. Sheilah Elwardani will explore the role the German Baptist Brethren played in the organization and operation of the Unionist Underground Railroad during the American Civil War. The peace-church principles and opposition to both secession and the institution of slavery placed the German Baptist Brethren of Southwest Virginia and the Shenandoah Valley in a precarious position at the outbreak of the Civil War.

As non-resistor, peace-church people, participation in the war for either army was prohibited. The enactment of conscription laws in the Confederacy placed many German Baptist Brethren in a position of forced enlistment.

This research explores the progression of Brethren response to the developments of the war and the operation of an "underground railroad" to aid conscription evaders and deserters escape north out of the Confederacy.

Sheilah Elwardani is a historian of American religious and Appalachian history. She holds a PhD in American history from Liberty University. She is an Associate Professor of History at Virginia Western in Roanoke, Virginia.

This is a free public event. All are invited and encouraged to attend.

The program starts at 10:30 AM following the Floyd County Historical Society Annual Membership Meeting that starts at 10:00 AM.

Parking is available behind the Arts Center. Overflow parking is available across Route 8.

The Floyd Center for the Arts is located at 220 Parkway Lane South, Suite 1 in Floyd, VA.

To view the event flyer, visit: https://i.postimg.cc/k4grm5vW/image.png.

For more information, visit: https://floydhistoricalsociety.org/ or https://www.facebook.com/floydcountyhistoricalsoc or https://www.facebook.com/events/1994001197624966.