Our History...
In 1995, Eileen Conklin and Betsy Estilow – good friends and Civil War researchers and authors – were concerned that presentations about women in the American Civil War were absent from scholarly conferences. So, they decided to organize their own conference dedicated to women’s lives and roles during the great sectional conflict. They recruited a group of like-minded cohorts, and the result was the First Conference on Women and the Civil War, held at Hood College in Frederick, Maryland in June 1997. The response was overwhelming, and four annual conferences followed.
A fellowship formed among speakers and attendees during those first five years of the conference. Recognizing the need to nurture and grow this community -- of writers, researchers, museum specialists, park rangers, docents, librarians, archivists, conservators, scholars, historians, reenactors, academics, students, history enthusiasts, and many experts in their chosen fields -- the members of the conference committee formed and incorporated the Society for Women and the Civil War in 2002.
Since its inception, the Society has been governed by by-laws, and administered by a revolving and diverse volunteer Board of Directors elected from our community. To assist and advise the Board, and to enhance our community-building efforts, the Society created a Regents program. The Regents serve as SWCW liaisons in geographic regions of North America, Asia, and Europe, focusing on mission fulfillment and member support.
The mission of the Society is recognizing the efforts of women who lived through or participated in the American Civil War, and those who research, reenact or otherwise honor these women of the past.
The Society has continued to produce conferences showcasing the best research into the lives and accomplishments of women during the Civil War era. But it does so much more. Our quarterly e-journal, At Home and in the Field, launched in 2003, brings our community fresh information about Civil War women in-between the conferences, and provides a platform for both new and seasoned writers. Our monthly e-newsletter, The Calling Card, launched in 2011, brings its readers news from the Civil War and Women’s History communities, and serves as the main vehicle for keeping our audience informed of the activities of the Society and the accomplishments of our members. In 2020, a “Woman of the Month” feature was added to The Calling Card.
To support the members of the Society, a scholarship program was established in 2008. It has grown to four individual scholarships, supporting the research and training of high school students, college students, reenactors/living historians, and educators. The Society also offers an author mentorship program, connecting first-time member-authors with already-published SWCW members and associates, and providing continuing support through the publication process. Additionally, we maintain an author’s list on our website to promote the work of Society members and conference speakers.
In 2018, the Society achieved 501(c)3 status, allowing us to broaden the scope of our work and to accept tax-exempt donations to support that work. The Society’s biggest initiative to date began that same year: The National Registry of Women’s Service in the Civil War. The Registry identifies women who served their nations during the Civil War; maintains their identities in a searchable database; and supports that database with documentation files. The Registry is being populated by SWCW Board Members and volunteers. SWCW looks forward to making the Registry available to the public in the near future.
In 2020, the Society established an Organizational Partnership program which formally recognizes its working relationships with other organizations which have like-minded missions and cooperate with the Society in mutually beneficial efforts. With the success of this program, the Society began an outreach program for relationships with international organizations in
2023.
The Society for Women and the Civil War will continue to find innovative ways of fulfilling our mission. As we survey the scholarly landscape, we note with pride that more Civil War-themed conferences and forums are addressing women in their offerings, and we believe that we have been influential in this regard. We also believe that there is still much more to learn about women’s lives and roles, and we look forward to continuing our leadership in bringing these stories to the forefront.
A fellowship formed among speakers and attendees during those first five years of the conference. Recognizing the need to nurture and grow this community -- of writers, researchers, museum specialists, park rangers, docents, librarians, archivists, conservators, scholars, historians, reenactors, academics, students, history enthusiasts, and many experts in their chosen fields -- the members of the conference committee formed and incorporated the Society for Women and the Civil War in 2002.
Since its inception, the Society has been governed by by-laws, and administered by a revolving and diverse volunteer Board of Directors elected from our community. To assist and advise the Board, and to enhance our community-building efforts, the Society created a Regents program. The Regents serve as SWCW liaisons in geographic regions of North America, Asia, and Europe, focusing on mission fulfillment and member support.
The mission of the Society is recognizing the efforts of women who lived through or participated in the American Civil War, and those who research, reenact or otherwise honor these women of the past.
The Society has continued to produce conferences showcasing the best research into the lives and accomplishments of women during the Civil War era. But it does so much more. Our quarterly e-journal, At Home and in the Field, launched in 2003, brings our community fresh information about Civil War women in-between the conferences, and provides a platform for both new and seasoned writers. Our monthly e-newsletter, The Calling Card, launched in 2011, brings its readers news from the Civil War and Women’s History communities, and serves as the main vehicle for keeping our audience informed of the activities of the Society and the accomplishments of our members. In 2020, a “Woman of the Month” feature was added to The Calling Card.
To support the members of the Society, a scholarship program was established in 2008. It has grown to four individual scholarships, supporting the research and training of high school students, college students, reenactors/living historians, and educators. The Society also offers an author mentorship program, connecting first-time member-authors with already-published SWCW members and associates, and providing continuing support through the publication process. Additionally, we maintain an author’s list on our website to promote the work of Society members and conference speakers.
In 2018, the Society achieved 501(c)3 status, allowing us to broaden the scope of our work and to accept tax-exempt donations to support that work. The Society’s biggest initiative to date began that same year: The National Registry of Women’s Service in the Civil War. The Registry identifies women who served their nations during the Civil War; maintains their identities in a searchable database; and supports that database with documentation files. The Registry is being populated by SWCW Board Members and volunteers. SWCW looks forward to making the Registry available to the public in the near future.
In 2020, the Society established an Organizational Partnership program which formally recognizes its working relationships with other organizations which have like-minded missions and cooperate with the Society in mutually beneficial efforts. With the success of this program, the Society began an outreach program for relationships with international organizations in
2023.
The Society for Women and the Civil War will continue to find innovative ways of fulfilling our mission. As we survey the scholarly landscape, we note with pride that more Civil War-themed conferences and forums are addressing women in their offerings, and we believe that we have been influential in this regard. We also believe that there is still much more to learn about women’s lives and roles, and we look forward to continuing our leadership in bringing these stories to the forefront.