Virginia's Civil War Story

Commemorating the 150^th anniversary of the American Civil War is important because history is meant to be examined, understood and its lessons applied. This holds true whether the stories are easy to digest or difficult to examine and painful to remember.

Virginia is central to the commemoration of the Civil War:

• The bookends of the war were in Virginia: the site of the first major battle of the war (Manassas), and the end of the war (Appomattox). Many of the National Park Service's most popular Civil War battlefield sites are in Virginia: Fredericksburg/Spotsylvania, Manassas, Richmond, Petersburg, Appomattox, Cedar Creek/Belle Grove, and Colonial National Historical Park.

• Sixty percent of the Civil War's battles or three out of every five were fought in Virginia. Few other areas have ever been as devastated by war as Virginia was during the Civil War. There are over three times more Civil War battlefields in Virginia than in any other state.

• Of the 22 soldiers in the United States Colored Troops who earned the Congressional Medal of Honor, 14 received this distinction for bravery in the Battle of New Market Heights in Henrico County.

• Richmond served as the Capital of the Confederacy. "On to Richmond" was the battle cry for four bloody years. Once Richmond fell, the war ended within days.
  

Education, economic and tourism opportunities

The 150^th anniversary of the Civil War holds tremendous educational, economic and tourism opportunities for the Commonwealth. Not only was Virginia the epicenter of the Civil War in the 1860's, it is still primary in terms of what visitors can see and experience of the legacy today:

• Virginia far and away has more Civil War sites than any other state, including over 400 that are linked by the Civil War Trails program. In addition to touring the battlefields, travelers can visit world-class museums, historic homes, cemeteries, Civil War libraries and research centers and much more.

• 'Heritage tourism' is one of Virginia's biggest resources. Civil War history scholars and enthusiasts flock to the Commonwealth from all over the United States. Data from the Virginia Tourism Corporation shows that the Civil War traveler tends to stay longer and spend more money than the average visitor to Virginia.

• The story of Virginia's participation in the war is statewide. There is not a county, city or town in the Commonwealth that was unaffected by the Civil War. There are hundreds of Civil War-related sites throughout the state that serve to better educate Virginians, and those who travel to Virginia, as to the pivotal role of the Commonwealth in the war. This geographic dispersal makes touring Virginia easy. Visitors do not have to travel to a specific place to experience the history. No matter where visitors are in the state, there is nearby Civil War history to take in.

Additionally, the sesquicentennial presents numerous educational opportunities, particularly targeting:

• Young people - Many students and young people do not understand the relevance of the American Civil War to today's society. While many of the Civil War's facts are taught in the classroom, the 150^th anniversary is a new opportunity for students to understand 'why the Civil War still matters.' The four-year commemoration offers a chance to capture the interest and imagination of young people, igniting a lifelong love of history.

• Diverse population - Due to the geographic mobility of today's society and the influx of technology jobs to the Commonwealth, many of today's Virginians do not trace their family history to Virginia. In fact, only half of Virginia residents were born here. Forty percent (40%) come from other states and ten percent (10%) from other countries. Moreover, the people of Virginia represent every race and ethnic background. The sesquicentennial offers the chance to embrace our diversity by telling an inclusive, balanced story of the Civil War that includes the African-American, Union and Confederate perspectives.

• World view - Many immigrants and new citizens have come to the United States in the last 20 years to escape civil strife in their native countries. During the sesquicentennial, we can look at how the American Civil War compares to civil wars in other countries, and how the United States emerged from the brink of collapse to become the most powerful nation in the world.

Commemoration, not celebration

It is important to realize that this is a commemoration, not a celebration. There is no joy to be found in a war that caused the deaths of over 620,000 Americans, divided families, tore apart a nation, and left cities in ruin. Rather, it is a commemoration. It is a chance to examine the time, the people, the causes and the legacies of the Civil War. The commemoration provides an opportunity to study all sides of the story: Union, Confederate and African-American; battlefront and home front; enslaved as well as freed. There is much that we can learn from an honest and comprehensive examination of the Civil War, a conflict that defined a nation.