Travel back to 1863 Scranton through a striking Harper’s illustration revealing its smoky ironworks, bustling railroads, and crowded immigrant shanties as it powered the Union war machine in the Civil War. The contrast between humble huts and wealthy homes illustrates gritty industrial life and class divide in Pennsylvania’s Coal Region in the 19th century. Read the full story.
As the Battle of Gettysburg raged, Harrisburg residents heard the distant thunder of cannon fire, signaling the scale of the conflict to the south. On July 3, 1863, the Harrisburg Evening Telegraph reported intense anxiety in the state capital, as the city braced for news of the battle’s outcome and prepared to receive wounded soldiers in the days ahead. Read the full story.
As Lee’s army marched into Pennsylvania, Pottsville residents crowded the Schuylkill County Courthouse, vowing to defend both their homes and the vital anthracite fields. Just days later, the Battle of Gettysburg would decide the fate of this high-stakes campaign. Read the full story.
Take a rare look at an 1863 illustration of the Oxford Colliery in Scranton, where “breaker boys” sorted anthracite by hand amid roaring machinery. Discover how these early breakers shaped Pennsylvania’s coal industry. Read the full story.
Discover the untold stories of Gettysburg in the latest episode of the Public History podcast! Join Jake and Justin as they chat with Codie Eash about history myth-busting and the challenges of interpreting Civil War history at Seminary Ridge Museum in Gettysburg, PA. It’s a lively, thought-provoking conversation you won’t want to miss. Click to dive in!
Sergeant Hiram Perry was one of the US Army soldiers stationed at Schuylkill County to stop labor organizing and anti-war violence in the region during the Civil War. Read the full story.
Newspaper editor Benjamin Bannan implored the US Army be used to put down labor organization in the Coal Region during the Civil War.
Captain Charles Flagg became one of the last casualties of the Battle of Gettysburg on July 3, 1863.
The young color sergeant of the 143rd Pennsylvania fell dead at the front of his unit as the Battle of Gettysburg raged.
A correspondent of the Luzerne Union newspaper provides an account of a fatal train wreck in June 1863.