Historian launches book on forgotten Welsh history within American Civil War
Nation.Cymru staff
A new book exploring the American Civil War through the eyes of a Welsh historian and traveller will be officially launched at the Dylan Thomas Centre in Swansea.
America, the Civil War and Me and its Welsh-language edition, America a’r Rhyfel Cartref a Fi – Taith i galon y Cymry yn America, by Dr Huw Griffiths of the University of Wales Trinity Saint David (UWTSD), combine history, travel and personal reflection to uncover the often-overlooked Welsh story behind one of the most significant conflicts in American history.
The book grew out of Griffiths’ doctoral research into the Welsh in the American Civil War and a seven-month journey across the United States in 1998, during which he visited archives, libraries and battlefields as he traced the experiences of Welsh people caught up in the conflict.
His journey took him from Boston and New York to Washington, Richmond, Fredericksburg, Antietam and Appomattox.
Along the way, he encountered people of Welsh descent, explored historical records and discovered stories that reveal the significant contribution made by Welsh immigrants to nineteenth-century America and the Civil War.
Drawing on Welsh-American newspapers, letters and other contemporary sources, the book explores how Welsh immigrants experienced and responded to the conflict, including their strong opposition to slavery.
Written from the perspective of both historian and traveller, America, the Civil War and Me brings together historical research with personal experiences, observations and encounters from Griffiths’ journey across America.
Griffiths said: “This book brings together two journeys – my own journey across America and my journey into the history of the Welsh people who found themselves caught up in the American Civil War. I hope it will encourage readers to look at the Civil War from a different perspective and to discover the fascinating and often forgotten connections between Wales and America.”
His interest in the subject began with his doctoral research into the Welsh contribution to the history of the American Civil War.
His later move into higher education at UWTSD provided the opportunity to revisit that research and combine it with the experiences and memories of his journey across America.
At the heart of the book is a story of people and places and of the ways in which the past continues to shape communities and identities today.
The book’s exploration of the American Civil War also considers wider questions about freedom, equality, slavery and the role of government.
As Griffiths writes, the conflict was ultimately a battle over ideas that continue to resonate today, while the Welsh were “deeply caught up in all this hullabaloo”.
The official launch of America, the Civil War and Me and America a’r Rhyfel Cartref a Fi will take place at the Dylan Thomas Centre, Swansea, at 6.30pm on 15 September. Both editions are published by Gwasg Carreg Gwalch.
A separate launch event will also be held in Carmarthen on Wednesday 16 September at 6.30pm at Yr Egin, giving local readers an opportunity to hear more about the book and Griffiths’ research. The additional event reflects Griffiths’ strong connections with the county of Carmarthenshire.
You can purchase the book here.
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I took my own journey of American Welsh history many years ago and ended up living there. I was following in the footsteps of Prof Gwyn Alf Williams and his excellent book “Madoc – the Making of a Myth”. I dipped my toes in the Mad Dog river that empties into Mobile Bay Alabama and visited Fort Morgan at the mouth of Mobile Bay one of Madocs supposed landings when he discovered America. Another notable visit was to Savannah Georgia where I learned about Button Gwinnett, one of the many signatories of the Declaration of Independence with Welsh ancestry. I… Read more »
Great article. Wales played a huge role in my opinion. I recall watching a fascinating documentary on S4C a few years ago about how the National Library of Wales in Aberystwyth holds significant primary documents by Welsh language newspaper, Y Drych, in New York. Letters from Welsh-speaking Civil War soldiers and Welsh-American abolitionists.