I like to read about—and write about—history that is full of characters, culture, and contradictions.
History that helps you discover other people’s lives and learn a bit more about your own.
My current project, Alexandria on Edge: Civil War, Reconstruction, and Remembrance on the Banks of the Potomac, delivers all that and more.
When the 1860s began, Alexandria, Virginia—once home to George Washington, now a suburb of Washington, DC—was the ninth-largest city in the South.
The city of 12,000 people had one of the largest free Black populations in the South—and also one of the nation’s most profitable slave-trading businesses. During the war, thousands of Northern soldiers and civilians thronged the city, along with an estimated 8,000 Black men, women, and children escaping slavery. Almost every major battle in the East was felt in its encampments, hospitals, and prisons. After the war, through Freedmen’s Bureau activity, Black and White political organizing, and violence, Alexandria was a microcosm for both the possibilities and dashed hopes of Reconstruction.
ALEXANDRIA ON EDGE: Civil War, Reconstruction, and Remembrance on the Banks of the Potomac provides a user-friendly lens to understand this period in our nation’s history and its impact today.
Come along for the ride! The manuscript is due to my publisher, Georgetown University Press, on April 1, 2025. Sign up for a bi-monthly newsletter, connect with me on social media (links below), or send me an email.
“In her engrossing book, Whitacre skillfully adds historical context to produce a well-rounded picture of a woman who found her purpose in battling ‘indifference and prejudice’ and making a difference.”
About My First Book
Published by Potomac Books/U of Nebraska Press in September 2017. Paperback edition, March 2020.
My Blog
Bits about Alexandria, Washington, the 19th century, and lots more.
And….About Me
Let me tell you how I "found" Julia Wilbur & wrote a book about her life.