Congratulations to History Major Christine Panzitta for winning the Weinberg Memorial Library’s 2013-2014 Undergraduate Research Prize.
Christine Panzitta with her adviser Dr. Adam Pratt and Dean Brian Conniff.
Her paper, “Desertion in the Union Army, 1861-1866” examines the ways in which the Union government and the home front defined and dealt with the problem of desertion. Her research shows that the meaning of desertion changed during the course of the war as politicians and civilians alike began to understand the scope of the problem. By connecting the home front to the battlefield, and showing how the actions of soldiers drove public opinion, Christine’s research is truly groundbreaking.