The CWI was founded in 1982 by historian and Gettysburg College professor Gabor Boritt, an Abraham Lincoln and American Civil War scholar.
The Institute helps coordinate a number of Civil War-related events for the public, including the Robert Fortenbaugh Memorial Lecture, an annual program designed to commemorate Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, as well as a week-long summer conference that hosts 400 participants annually.
While most participants stay in Gettysburg College dorms during the week, local attendees can choose to forgo living expenses and commute each day.
Lecturers and tour guides are chosen for recent scholarship and expertise on the conference's central theme.
The CWI has hosted a number of prominent historians, including James M. McPherson, Harold Holzer, Brooks D. Simpson, Gary Gallagher, and Jennifer Murray.