Background: About the Commission

The Virginia Sesquicentennial of the American Civil War Commission was created by House Bill 1140 (2006 Acts, c. 465). A legislative commission chaired by Speaker of the House of Delegates William J. Howell, it is charged with planning for and commemorating the 150th anniversary of Virginia's participation in the American Civil War. The commemoration begins in 2009 and runs through 2015.

In the absence of a federal commission, Virginia is recognized as the national leader of the sesquicentennial by virtue of its strong state support, well-developed initiatives, and comprehensive approach. The Commission is working with other states to offer assistance, encourage planning efforts and seek ways in which to work collaboratively.

Members of the Commission

Speaker of the House of Delegates William J. Howell, Chair
Senator Charles J. Colgan, Sr. Vice Chair Delegate Albert C. Eisenberg Delegate Algie T. Howell, Jr. Delegate Johnny S. Joannou Delegate R. Steven Landes Delegate L. Scott Lingamfelter Delegate Thomas C. Wright, Jr.	Senator R. Creigh Deeds Senator John S. Edwards Senator Janet D. Howell Senator Mamie E. Locke John P. Ackerly, III Dr. James I. Robertson, Jr. Dr. Paul A. Levengood

The Commission is particularly proud to work in close partnership with the Virginia Historical Society, and with Dr. James I. "Bud" Robertson, Jr., the nationally acclaimed scholar who heads the Center for Civil War Studies at Virginia Tech. By way of background, Dr. Robertson was appointed by President Kennedy to take over as the Executive Director of the national Centennial Commission in December 1961, bringing positive change to a commemoration that began poorly. The Commission has heeded Dr. Robertson's many lessons from the centennial, chief among them being to focus on education.

 

Advisory Council and Work Groups

The Commission benefits from a distinguished Advisory Council that has been instrumental in developing parameters that will guide the commemoration through 2015. Advisory Council membership is drawn from the state's education, historic and tourism institutions including: historians; representatives from museums, battlefields and the National Park Service; leaders in state and local government; education experts; and representatives of Civil War-related heritage groups, such as the Sons of Union Veterans, Sons of Confederate Veterans, and Sons and Daughters of United States Colored Troops.

As a result of the recommendations of the Advisory Council, work groups were formed that focus the Commissions' efforts in three primary areas: Coordination, Signature Events and Activities, and Education.

 

Accomplishments of the Commission

1.	Sponsored the first major sesquicentennial program in the nation, "America on the Eve of the Civil War." The first of an annual Signature Conference series, the program was chaired by Dr. Edward L. Ayers, President of the University of Richmond, and drew over 2,000 attendees from 26 states. The program was widely hailed as setting the standard for the sesquicentennial commemoration nationwide.
2.	Worked in conjunction with Harpers Ferry National Historical Park and the West Virginia Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission to "kick off" the sesquicentennial commemoration nationwide at Harpers Ferry in Summer 2009, in conjunction with activities commemorating the 150th anniversary of John Brown's Raid.
3.	Distributed over 2,000 DVDs to each public elementary, middle and high school in Virginia to be used as a supplemental teaching resource. Produced by Dr. James I. Robertson, Jr., Distinguished Alumni Professor of History at Virginia Tech and Executive Director of the Center for Civil War Studies, the two-DVD set is divided into nine 20-minute segments to facilitate ease of teacher use in the classroom. Segments focus on the background of the war, military campaigns, the African-American experience, leading Virginia personalities, the common soldier, home front activities, and legacies of the war.
4.	Received a We the People grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities in the amount of $950,000 in support of the Civil War 150 HistoryMobile and the VHS-led museum exhibition, "An American Turning Point: The Civil War in Virginia." The Commission is only the third recipient of this prestigious Chairman's Special Award grant.
5.	Created a website portal for the sesquicentennial: www.VirginiaCivilWar.org that includes a dynamic "Then/Now" statewide map as well as links to vodcasts of key Civil War sites.
6.	Adopted a logo and vision statement that will guide the commemoration: "Understanding Our Past, Embracing Our Future."
7.	Established goals for the commemoration: Diversity: The commemoration will be inclusive of, and meaningful to, all Virginians, particularly: Diverse racial and ethnic groups Immigrants and citizens who do not have a hereditary link to the American Civil War Young people and those who do not understand the relevance of the American Civil War to today's population Inclusiveness: The commemoration will seek to portray a balanced story of Virginia's participation in the American Civil War that includes African-American, Union and Confederate perspectives. Statewide Accessibility: The commemoration will be statewide, involving all localities and encompassing all Civil War-related institutions, museums, battlefields, parks and facilities. Education: The commemoration period will have a strong education component, intended to ignite a renewed interest in Virginia's historical heritage. Opportunities will be captured to re-examine the lessons of the past and the legacies of the Civil War in an effort to understand how they have defined the present and continue to shape our future. Permanence: The Commission intends the commemoration to have a long-lasting effect and legacy, continuing well past 2015.
8.	Coordinated and cooperated with other states in their planning efforts; offered technical assistance; monitored sesquicentennial legislation at the federal level.
9.	Formed a large and distinguished Advisory Council with three workgroups: Coordination (Chair: Sen. Colgan), Signature Events and Activities (Chair: Speaker Howell), and Education (Chair: Del. A.T. Howell).
10.	Created a 501(c)(3) corporation, Virginia Sesquicentennial of the American Civil War Foundation, to oversee fundraising initiatives.
11.	Approved a special license plate, which went on sale July 1, 2008