Every hour, we are losing
one acre of our past… one acre of hallowed ground… one acre of our history.[1]
Questions for thought, hash it out!
Should commercialization exist on historical land?
Should the preservation of historical property take priority over
commercial building/development?
Should historical land preservation be a more addressed political issue?
Why/Why not?
*Comment and share your opinion!
*As always, post, share,
and most importantly, argue! Let's hash out history!
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Standing alone… on the
Sunken Road, or perhaps more accurately called Bloody Lane on Antietam
Battlefield, I reflect on the sacrifice of the men that died there. The
plaques list over 5,000 casualties in less than four hours of fighting along
this portion of the battlefield. Antietam was the bloodiest day of the
Civil War. More Americans would die here than on D-Day in WWII. I
get chills every time I step onto a battlefield where so
many gave so
much. The same chills come to me while walking the same steps as Pickett’s
Division at Gettysburg, or while examining the surrounding high ground at Fort
Necessity. Yet, a concern is that with the modernization and
commercialization of the United States, the opportunity for these ‘chills’ to
be passed down to our future generations is in jeopardy. History
education is threatened in the United States. My passion of teaching
history was checked by being moved into an English position, a microcosm of the priority
of history in our schools. Yet, one of the most rewarding moments of my
experience in teaching history was providing an opportunity for students to get
the same ‘chills’ I get (and thousands of other Americans get every year) when
stepping foot on the hallowed ground of our past. For several years I
made it a point to take students out of the classroom and onto the
battlefields.
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| The Sunken Road @ Antietam (1862) |
What was the product of
this?
Action taken by millennial’s in
preserving our historical past. The students rose over
$500 in just a few weeks along with their peers to preserve land at Antietam Battlefield. The students took it a step further in hosting a living
history that included aspects of the Civil War (medicine, infantry, artillery, leadership, leisure, signal corps, etc.) to over 2,000 local
students… for FREE! Student were able to interact with living historians; bringing Abraham Lincoln, General U.S. Grant, General Early, Major Martin Robison Delany, and a host of other portrayals to life. It is clear that history can be resuscitated in our education system.
"Only 18 percent of
eight graders were proficient or better in U.S. history in 2014."[2]
This is obviously a shocking, if not depressing, statistic of the state of affairs concerning historical education in the United States. Yet, if a few students from a
small town in Southwestern Pennsylvania are motivated to care about the preservation of our past
and can get excited about history, it can become a national trend. We still have the ability to make history matter. Our
youth can see the value in preserving history if we make it a priority in their
historical education (this will be addressed in a later post).
Why Choose Preservation?
Why is a Wal-Mart needed
on the Fredericksburg Battlefield or in The Wilderness?
Why is a Casino proposed
or a hotel built near such a national treasure as Gettysburg or Robert E. Lee’s
Headquarters at Gettysburg?
Why is a housing
development, gas station, parking lot, or motel need to be placed where
thousands upon thousands of men gave the ultimate sacrifice for their cause?
There are many answers
to these questions… But, a brief, and biased, answer is that they aren’t
needed, they do not need proposed, and they do not need to be placed on
historical ground! The commercialization of historical ground and
properties essentially destroy history.
So, what makes historical preservation important? Simple, historic preservation preserves the story of the United States of America for our future generations. Instead of a textbook, preservation allows a person to experience our history.
If a group of 8th grade
students can become active in preserving our past, anyone has the ability, including you!
How can you take an
active role in saving our past? Only one organization stands out as a
leader in historic preservation; The Civil War Trust. The Civil War Trust
uses the actions of the general public with matching donations to preserve hallowed
ground while managing and cooperating with developers to more appropriately
develop land while preserving history. Basically, The Civil War Trust is an effective, active, and engaging non-profit organization with the goal of saving battlefields and hallowed ground in America.
The Civil War Trust’s
Mission:
“preserve America’s significant Civil War
battlefields by protecting the actual
land and educating the public about the vital roles those battlefields played
in
directing the course of our nation’s history.”
It doesn't take long to see the accomplishments of The Civil War Trust as meaningful, important, and impressive! The Civil War Trust Accomplishments
As of today, The Civil
War Trust proudly projects saving 42,653 acres of land saved in 21 states for our future
generations. That is more square mileage than encapsulates the city of
Pittsburgh, PA. The Civil War Trust does not just cherish the
preservation of Civil War land; rather it holds all historical land as critical
preservation targets for our future. Opportunities to preserve hallowed
ground, from the Revolutionary War to the War of 1812, are available through
the Trust’s campaigns. The Trust is a transparent, non-profit organization where you actually see results and feel like a part of a team of like-minded, driven preservationists of American history. If you need a visual reference to the success; Civil War Trust Successes and Current Targets.
What is more impressive about the Civil War Trust is its focus on education. This makes the organization more unique, as they understand that preservation goes hand-in-hand with education. Who will continue the fight of historic preservation if we do not instill that value in our youth? The Civil War Trust Teachers Regiment promotes historical education in a society that has placed it on the back-burner, so to speak. Members of the Teachers Regiment have access to lessons, resources and materials, and a network of passionate history educators. Yearly meetings and conventions provide members opportunities to collaborate, learn, and share in their interest of history and preservation. Teachers are encouraged to hold fundraising drives which, with matching partners and grants, can make raise large funds that make a real difference in the preservation of land.
This is where I throw out a challenge to the many students who read this blog. Start a preservation campaign in your school. It isn't the amount raised, it is the lesson and message behind the fundraiser. It says, you care about our story. It says, you care about our nation's history. It says, you do not want to see historical land destroyed. There are many things that you cannot do in activism before you are 18, taking a stand on historic preservation IS something that you CAN do! So, spread the word, choose preservation, choose the preservation of hallowed ground.
Interested in preserving history? The Civil War Trust provides opportunities for membership which consists of benefits such as gifts, editorials, newsletters, and up-to-date correspondence from The Civil War Trust family. Even if not interested in membership, donations can be made to preserve our country's story as a tax-deductible gift here: Tax-Deductible Gift
The Civil War Trust also provides opportunities to become an activist politically:
Links:
PRESERVE THE CHILLS
Now it is your turn. Preserve the chills that you get
when standing on hallowed ground to our future generations with The Civil War
Trust. Preservation of historical land is the preservation of our
history; it is the preservation of our story, the story of the United States. Preserve the land in which hundreds of thousands of men gave the ultimate sacrifice for the cause of freedom, liberty, preservation of the United States, and preservation of a future.
Again, feel free to add to the discussion, share, and argue... But most importantly this time, preserve!
[2] Joy
Resmovits, “Shockingly Few Students Are Proficient In U.S. History,” Huffington Post, April 29, 2015. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/04/29/national-assessment-of-educational-progress-2015_n_7164984.html
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