In 1876, Joshua Chamberlain (hero of the Civil War, governor of Maine, and President of Bowdoin College) delivered a long speech at Philadelphia’s Centennial Exposition. It is a wide-ranging history of the development of Maine before and after statehood.Co-published with the Pejepscot History Center, Maine’s Place n History is an annotated publication of Chamberlain’s speech in its entirety. Separated by themes, each section features a short introductory essay to put it in context. Chamberlain’s talk presents a unique view of the state and its place in the nation at the half-way mark.
Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain was a Bowdoin college professor who volunteered during the American Civil War to join the Union Army. He became a highly respected and decorated Union officer, reaching the rank of brigadier general (and brevet major general). He is best known for his gallantry at the Battle of Gettysburg, for which he was awarded the Medal of Honor. Following the war, he served as Governor of Maine and president of Bowdoin College.Troy Ancona has been a docent and site manager with the Pejepscot Historical Society for twenty years, where he is recognized expert on Joshua Chamberlain. He lives in Brunswick.