Edward Ayers is Tucker-Boatwright Professor of the Humanities and president emeritus at the University of Richmond. He has received the Bancroft and Lincoln Prizes for his scholarship, been named National Professor of the Year, received the National Humanities Medal from President Obama at the White House, and is former president of the Organization of American Historians. Ayers is the founding board chair of the American Civil War Museum in Richmond and executive director of New American History, dedicated to making the nation’s history more visible and useful for a broad range of audiences. His latest book is Southern Journey: The Migrations of the American South, 1790-2020.
Integrating the histories of black, white, indigenous, and immigrant peoples, the lecture shows how the movements of people in every era of southern history have shaped the nation.