About
the Civil War 150 HistoryMobile
The
Civil War 150 HistoryMobile is an interactive “museum
on wheels” housed in a 53’ expandable
tractor-trailer. The four-year tour launched on July
21, 2011, in conjunction with the 150th anniversary
commemoration of the First Battle of Manassas. The
HistoryMobile will visit museums, parks, fairs, schools,
and other sites throughout the Commonwealth and beyond.
The
HistoryMobile draws together stories from all over
Virginia and uses state-of-the-art technology and
immersive exhibit spaces to present individual stories
of the Civil War from the perspectives of those who
experienced it—young and old, enslaved and free,
soldiers and civilians.
"In Their Footsteps": Inside the
HistoryMobile
The
HistoryMobile exhibit is divided into four sections:
Battlefront, Homefront, Journey to Freedom, and Loss-Gain-Legacy.
From
the heart-rending letter written by a dying son to
his father after sustaining a mortal wound at Spotsylvania
in 1864, to an overheard conversation between husband
and wife considering the great risks and rewards of
fleeing to freedom, the HistoryMobile presents the
stories of real people whose lives were shaped by
the historic events of the 1860s.
The
HistoryMobile exhibit includes:
The
Whirlwind: Virginia in the Civil War—A
film that examines Virginia’s decision to
secede and poses the question “Why War?”
Battlefront
Immersion—Conveys the experience of battle
in its intensity, confusion, and suffering.
Home
Interrupted—Offers a first-person view
of real-life dilemmas faced by civilians, soldiers,
and slaves in Virginia during the Civil War.
Journey
to Freedom—Presents the overall experience
of enslaved persons amid war, including the decision
to fight for freedom.
Loss-Gain-Legacy—Explores
the profound impact of the war on Virginia, the
end of slavery, and the reunification of the nation.
Stories of well-known and lesser-known personalities
reflect the enduring legacies of the Civil War,
and visitors learn where they can delve more into
this history at Civil War sites and battlefields
across Virginia.
