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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.
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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
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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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 6. |
Adopted
a logo and vision statement that will guide
the commemoration: "Understanding Our
Past, Embracing Our Future."
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| 7. |
Established
goals for the commemoration:
Diversity:
The commemoration will be inclusive of, and
meaningful to, all Virginians, particularly:
- Diverse
racial and ethnic groups
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Immigrants and citizens who do not have
a hereditary link to the American Civil
War
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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.
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| 8. |
Coordinated
and cooperated with other states in their planning
efforts; offered technical assistance; monitored
sesquicentennial legislation at the federal
level.
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| 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).
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| 10. |
Created
a 501(c)(3) corporation, Virginia Sesquicentennial
of the American Civil War Foundation, to
oversee fundraising initiatives.
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| 11. |
Approved
a special license plate, which went on sale July
1, 2008 |
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Virginia Sesquicentennial Commemoration of the American Civil War
©
2010 Commonwealth of Virginia
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