Seldom Heard History of the Civil War Era
Stanton Center, Monterey, California, May 2-4, 2025

A full weekend of presentations in the Stanton Center Theater in beautiful Monterey, California. The Stanton Center is situated on the Custom House Plaza, bordering the Monterey State Historic Park. 

2025 Presenters

The conference will begin with a reception and short program Friday evening, followed by two full days (Saturday & Sunday) of intriguing talks distilled from some of the most fascinating and important scholarship about the Civil War era.

Conference Schedule

FRIDAY EVENING (May 2):
6:00pm-6:45pm registration/meet & greet, local wine
(in Stanton Center lobby)
6:45-7:00 opening remarks / welcome (in theater)
7:00-7:30 —SASHA BISCOE: "Africa to Allensworth": Understanding the truth regarding Africa’s suffering and her true contributions to America
7:45-8:30 —GORDON RHEA: Stephen A. Swails: Black Freedom Fighter in the Civil War and Reconstruction

SATURDAY (May 3):
9:15-10:15 —KEVIN LEVIN: "It Was Cruel To Murder Them In Cold Blood": Racial Violence at the Crater
10:30-11:30 —EDDA L. FIELDS-BLACK: Harriet Tubman, the Combahee Freedom Seekers, and the Combahee River Raid
​11:45-1:15 Lunch Break
1:30-2:30 —STACEY L. SMITH: "Warriors are Entitled to the Honors They Win": California's African American Military Units in the Civil War and Reconstruction
2:45-3:45 —WILLIAM GOULD: Diary of a Contraband, the Civil War Passage of a Black Sailor
4:00-5:00 —VICTORIA BYNUM: Mississippi’s Free State of Jones: The Miss-Telling of a Class Insurrection
5:15-5:45 book sales & signing in Stanton Theater lobby
​(Saturday afternoon only)

SUNDAY (May 4):
9:15-10:15 —KEVIN LEVIN: Before Glory: Robert Gould Shaw and the Second Massachusetts
10:30-11:30 —VICTORIA BYNUM: Movers and Shakers in Three Unionist Uprisings of the South
11:45-1:00 Lunch Break
1:15-2:15 —STACEY L. SMITH: Revisiting California's
"Last Slave Case"
2:30-3:30 —EDDA L. FIELDS-BLACK: Making COMBEE, Finding the Freedom Seekers, Telling their Stories
3:45-4:45 —GORDON RHEA: An American Family Tree: Descendants of Slave Owners, and of the Enslaved, Re-Discover Family Ties
Photos: above, 1889 photo of Allen Allensworth at Fort Bayard, NM (E. Crod, Louisville, Kentucky), and Harriet Tubman, by Benjamin F. Powelson, Library of Congress. Left, The gallant charge of the 54th Massachusetts at Battery Wagner, Currier & Ives

$285 for all sessions (Friday night, Saturday & Sunday)
Theater Seating Limited to 100 Registrants

Three Ways to Register

Option One: Mail check or money order for $285 to: Woodbury Historical Tours
​PO Box 60085 • Palo Alto, California • 94306
Please print and mail this FORM with your registration. 
Option Two: Make a secure credit card payment via Square (includes a 3% processing fee) by clicking on the "Register Now" at right. 
Option Three: if you use Venmo, send your payment to @David-Woodbury-1
(no processing fees)
Old Custom House photographed sometime after 1933. Photograph courtesy of Library of Congress

Lodging (not included in registration)

Many conference guests and speakers are staying at the beautiful Hotel Pacific, which is just a few minutes walk from the conference venue (Stanton Center on Custom House Plaza). The Hotel Pacific is offering their luxury "Junior Suites" to attendees for $315 per night. Click HERE to book your room.

Other Lodging

The area around the Custom House Plaza, including downtown Monterey, has a broad range of lodging options, from luxury to economical. This is true of the Monterey Peninsula at large. Follow these links to find a selection of hotels, motels, resorts, inns & lodges, bed & breakfasts, and more. 

Visit Monterey

click on this LINK for a full listing of destinations, dining, lodging, and things to do while you're there. 

Parking for Conference

Parking is available at the Waterfront Parking Lot at the intersection of Del Monte Avenue and Washington Street. Click on this LINK for more information and costs, payment options, and location. 

Dining

Dining options in Monterey, Pacific Grove, and Carmel are nearly unlimited. You'll also find many lunch and dinner spots in walking distance from the Stanton Center, at Old Fisherman's Wharf, and Downtown. 

Flash Your Badge

Conference attendees can access additional special deals in downtown Monterey and along Cannery Row—exclusive discounts and promotions with local restaurants and merchants—by showing your event badge. Click HERE for more info.