We Cannot Hallow This Ground

                On January 22, 2013, the National Park Service Director, Jonathan B. Jarvis, announced that an award of $1.8 million in grants was being provided to purchase 310.79 acres of land over six different Civil War battlefields. This is extremely good news for Civil War fans, especially with recent trends that have been occurring.

Since 2010, the US has been losing land from battlegrounds at a rate of 12 hectares per day. This may be shocking to many readers, but this rapid loss of land is due to urban and suburban sprawl. The largest amount of this land has been taken up by developers for large corporations. Many Civil War preservation groups cannot keep up with these corporations, because they are not-for-profit and often do not have nearly enough money to purchase land.

However, finally Civil War enthusiasts have the chance to save a little bit of history. The money is being granted by the National Park Service’s American Battlefield Protection Program, also known as ABPP, which will give the money to a myriad of different local community programs for land and maintenance. The historic sites that will benefit include: Mansfield, Appomattox, Cedar Mountain, Chancellorsville, Sailor’s Creek, and Buckland Mills.

In Race and Reunion, Blight discusses that the predominant theme among the dedication of the Civil War was that of selective “forgetting” and mutual reconciliation. With the disappearance of battlefields today, if appeared as if Blight’s words rang true in the modern era. However, with this purchase, the understanding of the Civil War regains a second chance. The American people are not entirely moving beyond the war, replacing the hallowed ground with suburbia and shopping malls. They are still seeking to understand the past, and perhaps revise what was missed the first, second, and third time these battles were studied. Clearly, the land grants are good news to all of those that enjoy history.

Link to the Article: http://www.nationalparkstraveler.com/2013/01/civil-war-battlefields-gain-ground-new-grants22727

Technology of the Future

                Have you heard of the USS Hatteras? And no, not the modern ship with the same name. Many are not aware of the very first USS Hatteras, which was a 1,126 ton steamer purchased by the Union Navy at the beginning of the American Civil War. It was first created in 1861. The ship was outfitted as gunboat, assigned to the Union blockade against the Confederate states. Yet, the USS Hatteras engaged with the CSS Alabama, which was disguised and surprised the USS Hatteras. The Alabama sunk the Hatteras. The sunk ship was found mostly undisturbed with its re-discovery in 1977.

                Today, the wreck of the USS Hatteras is one of the few shipwrecks on the National Register of Historic Places. It is considered of great importance because it is an example of the transition between wooden and steam-powered ships. Because people still want to preserve what they can of the wreck, it has been discouraged to go in and disturb the area. So, this has prevented historians from analyzing it as much as they desire. Yet, this conflict has been resolved. On January 19^th, it was announced a new form of 3D Sonar was used to provide a new view on the Shipwreck. This has given historians new details about the ship that could prior not be seen due to the fragility of the vessel and the murky water.

                Due to this progress, new insights have been shed on the ship. The place of the shell hole that sunk the ship was finally identified, and new details (such as what the paddle wheel and ship’s stern looked like) emerged. These findings are perfect timing for the Civil War’s 150^th anniversary celebration.

                This current event also has connections to our class. We are currently reviewing the book Race and Reunion, which essentially discusses the varied viewpoints that people take from the Civil War, and how these perspectives change over time. As new information emerges and events have to be re-analyzed, this narrative continues to change. With these details regarding the wreck of the USS Hatteras that have come to light, perhaps our understanding of this shipwreck will have to be revised in time as well.

Article on the Shipwreck and the 3D Sonar: http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/sonar-view-civil-war-shipwreck-18258268

Yet Another Lincoln Movie...

Needless to say, the most recent Steven Spielberg movie, Lincoln, has been critically acclaimed and has been nominated for numerous awards. However, all the positive hype incites a great amount of criticism about the movie as well. More specifically, many historians have come forward to debate the historical accuracy of the depiction of Lincoln. Some of the largest critiques have included that the film makes the role of African Americans disproportionately minimal, that there is no record that Lincoln hit his son, and that the secret Union-Confederate summit was too greatly emphasized. 

Yet, this author asserts that the new Lincoln movie, which is a PBS special that airs on Tuesday, will be more accurate. I have not heard much hype about this publication, but it will be interesting nonetheless to see. Of course, Spielberg emphasizes that his film is an artistic depiction, not a documentary, and the PBS film is intended to be a documentary as a summation of research on racial relations during the mid-nineteenth century. So, in a way, these two media projects cannot be easily compared. As a Civil War enthusiast, I personally am just happy in the sheer amount of media that is being made to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Civil War! 

http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/08/showbiz/slavery-pbs/index.html?hpt=hp_c3