Arkansas women faced monumental challenges during the Civil War. To commemorate Women’s History Month, Rebecca Howard will speak about women during the Civil War era for the Butler Center for Arkansas Studies’ Legacies and Lunch program on Wednesday, March 6, at noon in the Main Library’s Darragh Center, 100 Rock Street.

Howard’s presentation will focus on the stories of northwest Arkansas women who faced hardships including starvation, displacement, and harassment. She uses diaries, newspaper articles, government claims, and service and pension records to illustrate the experience of a variety of northwest Arkansas women, from the perspectives of Union and Confederate, rich and poor, black and white.

Howard is currently a PhD candidate in History at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. She completed her undergraduate work at Texas A&M. A northwest Arkansas native, Howard is focusing her dissertation work on that region during and after the Civil War.

The Butler Center’s Legacies & Lunch program is free and open to the public and supported in part by the Arkansas Humanities Council. Attendees are invited to bring a sack lunch; drinks and dessert will be provided.

The Butler Center for Arkansas Studies is a department of the Central Arkansas Library System (CALS). It was founded in 1997 to promote the study and appreciation of Arkansas history and culture. The Butler Center’s research collections, art galleries, and offices are located in the Arkansas Studies Institute building at 401 President Clinton Ave. on the campus of the CALS Main Library. For more information, call 918-3086.