Plowshares Into Swords-- Exhibit at Michigan Historical Museum

In recognition of the 150th anniversary of the American Civil War, the Michigan Historical Museum has created Plowshares Into Swords, a special exhibit exploring how the war changed Michiganians' lives. When Michigan joined the Union in 1837, it was an agricultural state whose citizens were opposed to slavery. The decades leading up to the war saw Michiganians developing the copper, iron and timber resources around them, and strengthening their antislavery voice by founding the Republican Party. Then, the firing on Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861, tore the nation in two. In the first confusing and turbulent years of the war, Michigan faced issues of how to recruit, finance and equip soldiers. Meanwhile, communities and individuals responded to the call for people on the home front to join in the war effort. Plowshares Into Swords features rich personal stories and period artifacts, including a changing array of rarely displayed Michigan Civil War flags. You will leave the exhibit with a better understanding of the experiences and feelings of real Michigan soldiers and families as the nation settled into the four-year-long war. There will be special activities and programs throughout the run of Plowshares Into Swords. Be sure to bookmark our calendar of events. Visit the Michigan Historical Museum on Facebook for a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the exhibit, artifact photos and photos from our April 16 Civil War encampment. Admission is free of charge. For more information, please send us an e-mail or telephone (517) 373-3559. The Michigan Historical Museum--flagship of the Michigan Historical Museum System--is located inside the Michigan Library and Historical Center, 702 West Kalamazoo Street, Lansing. The museum and visitor parking are on the north side of Kalamazoo Street, two blocks east of M. L. King Jr. Boulevard. Here's more information on how to find us. Copyright © 2011 State of Michigan Published: Mon, Jul 18, 2011