The Powells of Virginia with Alison Herring (part I)
I am super happy to welcome Alison Herring to the show! Allison is an independent historical researcher who has a professional background in the world of finance…having worked as a senior manager for a big four accounting firm. 16 years of experience in the tireless pursuit of evidence in an audit practice, her professional skepticism of all evidence (I love a skeptic!), and her attention to detail, when combined with a passion for history, has uniquely prepared Alison for the research of the Powell family of Virginia and their Civil War experience. Today we are going to discuss the Powells and those to whom they were connected - and their extraordinary lives leading up to and during the American civil war. We break down the Powells in two part…in Part I we discuss:
How Alison was drawn to the Powells and why it is important to tell their story
Alison’s personal background and how that informs her historical research
What learning about an individual or a family can tell us about historical context
Looking through historical actors’ personal correspondence and private diaries…getting to know them better than their contemporaries
The Powell’s school for girls - gender conventions in 1850s Virginia
The Powells, slavery, and Confederate nationalism
Have a listen…
Be sure to check out Alison’s WEBSITE for more information on the Powells and her research…and maybe catch an event! She is also on the usual social suspects: Twitter, Insta, and Facebook. And be sure and leave a comment below - so we can keep the conversation going! AND…don’t forget to subscribe to The Rogue Historian Podcast and leave a rating on Apple Podcasts or your favorite app so you never ever ever ever miss a show. That would be dumb.
With compliments,
Keith