UPPER LAKE, Calif. – The Redwood Empire Civil War Roundtable is kicking off its 2014 series Tuesday night, Jan. 7, at the Tallman Hotel in Upper Lake.

The roundtable begins at 6:15 p.m.

Tom Lajcik will present “Secession Precession: A trifecta of slavery expansion events leading to secession and the Corwin and Crittenden efforts to avoid it.”

The root causes of the breakup of the Union are still controversial today, and Lajcik will try to bring some clarity to the debate.

Zane Jensen will do a short presentation on “Total War and International Law.”

Jensen will review the evolution of the war from a “Gentlemen's War” to something far more barbaric, and how the international community viewed it.

The Civil War Roundtable meets once a month to discuss topics related to that war.

The group was founded to coincide with the Sesquicentennial of the conflict.

Admission is free and everyone is welcome.

For more information, contact Phil Smoley (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 707 264 4905) or Zane Jensen (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 707 349 6390).