Opium Slavery: Civil War Veterans and America’s First Opioid Crisis

Schedule

Sat, 01 Nov, 2025 at 03:00 pm

UTC-04:00

Location

48 E Patrick St, Frederick, MD, United States, Maryland 21701 | Frederick, MD

Advertisement
In the wake of the Civil War, many veterans struggled with lingering pain, disabling illnesses, and trauma. Old soldiers often turned to opioids to cope, and thousands became addicted to opium and Morph*ne.
Jonathan S. Jones, Assistant Professor of History at James Madison University, will discuss his new book Opium Slavery: Civil War Veterans and America’s First Opioid Crisis. It investigates how the Civil War sparked an opioid epidemic among veterans, how addiction affected their lives, and what this crisis can teach us about the war’s unexpected aftershocks in the postwar decades.
Advertisement

Where is it happening?

48 E Patrick St, Frederick, MD, United States, Maryland 21701

Event Location & Nearby Stays:

National Museum of Civil War Medicine

Host or Publisher National Museum of Civil War Medicine

It's more fun with friends. Share with friends

Discover More Events in Frederick

Dungeons & Dragons - TWEENS (PF)
Sat, 01 Nov at 11:00 am Dungeons & Dragons - TWEENS (PF)

Calvert Library

TRIPS-ADVENTURES
Saturday at the Vineyard and Biergarten!
Sat, 01 Nov at 12:00 pm Saturday at the Vineyard and Biergarten!

150 Adelina Rd, Prince Frederick, MD, United States, Maryland 20678

MUSIC LIVE-MUSIC
CTSMD Fall Student Showcase
Sat, 01 Nov at 01:00 pm CTSMD Fall Student Showcase

Holy Family Ln, Prince Frederick, MD 20678, United States

ART THEATRE
Barn & Barrel at McClintock Distillery - A Fall Whiskey Social
Sat, 01 Nov at 02:00 pm Barn & Barrel at McClintock Distillery - A Fall Whiskey Social

McClintock Distilling

1st Annual Benefit Concert | Special Performance by The Bryan Shepherd Band
Sat, 01 Nov at 05:00 pm 1st Annual Benefit Concert | Special Performance by The Bryan Shepherd Band

Moose Lodge No 371

MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT
4th Annual Harlem Wizards vs Team Frederick
Sat, 01 Nov at 06:00 pm 4th Annual Harlem Wizards vs Team Frederick

Frederick Community College

NONPROFIT SPORTS
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn \u2013 Part 1 (2011)
Sat, 01 Nov at 06:00 pm The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 (2011)

1301 West Patrick Street, Frederick, MD, United States, Maryland 21702

Magic Show: Mystery & Mayhem
Sat, 01 Nov at 07:30 pm Magic Show: Mystery & Mayhem

19 N Court St

MAGIC-SHOW ENTERTAINMENT
Adventurous Scavenger Hunt - Memories, Monuments, and Museums
Mon, 11 Nov at 08:00 am Adventurous Scavenger Hunt - Memories, Monuments, and Museums

Maryland 355

TRIPS-ADVENTURES ART
Adventurous Scavenger Hunt! - Monocacy Madcap Mystery Hunt
Wed, 27 Nov at 08:00 am Adventurous Scavenger Hunt! - Monocacy Madcap Mystery Hunt

902 Carroll Pkwy

TRIPS-ADVENTURES ART
Alma Katsu: Fiend
Wed, 01 Oct at 06:30 pm Alma Katsu: Fiend

Frederick Book Arts Center

ART LITERARY-ART
\u201cA Wonderful Tenacity of Life\u201d: The Story of Old Baldy, General George Meade\u2019s Trusted Warhorse
Sat, 04 Oct at 03:00 pm “A Wonderful Tenacity of Life”: The Story of Old Baldy, General George Meade’s Trusted Warhorse

48 E Patrick St, Frederick, MD, United States, Maryland 21701

Frederick in the Civil War - A Bus Tour of the Historic City
Sun, 05 Oct at 02:00 pm Frederick in the Civil War - A Bus Tour of the Historic City

48 E Patrick St, Frederick, MD, United States, Maryland 21701

ESL with the Literacy Council: Low Beginner Conversation Class
Mon, 06 Oct at 07:00 pm ESL with the Literacy Council: Low Beginner Conversation Class

C Burr.Artz Central Library

WORKSHOPS HOLIDAY
InSpired Watch Party Gala
Mon, 06 Oct at 08:30 pm InSpired Watch Party Gala

Weinberg Center for the Arts

PARTIES ENTERTAINMENT
Alyssa Coleman: Where Only Storms Grow
Wed, 08 Oct at 06:00 pm Alyssa Coleman: Where Only Storms Grow

12 N Market St, Frederick, MD, United States, Maryland 21701

ART LITERARY-ART
Rotary Meeting -Storied Sites: Discovering Connections Among Frederick County's Historical Landmarks
Thu, 09 Oct at 12:00 pm Rotary Meeting -Storied Sites: Discovering Connections Among Frederick County's Historical Landmarks

Mount St. Mary's University Frederick Campus

MEETUPS
Haunted History at the National Museum of Civil War Medicine
Sat, 11 Oct at 05:00 pm Haunted History at the National Museum of Civil War Medicine

48 E Patrick St, Frederick, MD, United States, Maryland 21701

GHOST-HUNTS
Oktoberfest at Schifferstadt - Oct. 18 (11am-6pm) & 19 (12pm-5pm), 2025
Sat, 18 Oct at 11:00 am Oktoberfest at Schifferstadt - Oct. 18 (11am-6pm) & 19 (12pm-5pm), 2025

Schifferstadt (Frederick, Maryland)

OKTOBERFEST CALENDAR
Cues and Boos @ Yoga at the National Museum of Civil War Medicine
Sun, 19 Oct at 05:00 pm Cues and Boos @ Yoga at the National Museum of Civil War Medicine

National Museum of Civil War Medicine

HEALTH-WELLNESS MEETUPS

What's Happening Next in Frederick?

Discover Frederick Events