The Civil War wasn’t just a man’s war. For the first time in American history, women played a significant role in the wartime effort. Women took on jobs beyond their society-mandated ones inside the home, including spy, nurse, and soldier. Clara Barton once claimed that the four-year war advanced the social position of women by … Read more
Legendary abolitionist Harriet Tubman (ca 1821–1913) escaped from slavery in 1849, going on to help many others find their way to freedom along the Underground Railroad. She grew up and worked on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, where many Underground Railroad sites have been connected by a scenic highway, the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Scenic Byway. … Read more
In spring 1863, as Gen. U.S. Grant plotted his attack on Vicksburg, he traveled into Mississippi’s interior, knowing he needed to sever the Confederate’s railroad connection between Vicksburg and Jackson. During that time, he transported reinforcements and supplies along the rural road between Grand Gulf and Raymond. “The genius of the campaign is out there … Read more
Mention Old Town Alexandria, and most people think colonial history. And they’re not wrong. Founded in 1749, the town went on to become a hotbed of Revolutionary War activity, with George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and other patriots discussing the merits of democracy at Gadsby’s Tavern and worshipping at Christ Church. But Alexandria, located just 10 … Read more
This lesser known private park, celebrating its twentieth anniversary in 2019, occupies the spot where the battle that ended the nine-month-long Petersburg Campaign took place on April 2, 1865, resulting in the Confederate’s evacuation of their capital at Richmond. Here you’ll find four antebellum homes, four museums, daily living-history demonstrations, hiking trails winding past important … Read more
It’s not exactly breaking news to say Richmond is a Civil War lover’s dream. Obviously, as the capital of the Confederacy, the city’s place in American history is unquestioned. And the amount of Civil War history that has been preserved is impressive, to say the least. Much of that can be found at Richmond National Battlefield Park, which … Read more
Missouri’s role in the Civil War is well documented. Given its central location and geographic features, notably the Mississippi River, the state was crucial to the fortunes of both sides of the conflict. More than 100,000 Missourians fought in the war, the large majority for the Union, despite the fact that Missouri was a slave … Read more
Missouri’s role in the Civil War is well documented. Given its central location and geographic features, notably the Mississippi River, the state was crucial to the fortunes of both sides of the conflict. More than 100,000 Missourians fought in the war, the large majority for the Union, despite the fact that Missouri was a slave … Read more
While Gettysburg and Vicksburg and other significant battles get all the attention, the Civil War was fought across the expanse of the North and South … and beyond, in places one might not expect. Here are some lesser-known Civil War sites that, while not as famous or visited as their celebrated battlefield brethren, all played … Read more
Neither the North nor the South had much of a navy before the Civil War. But at the war’s outbreak, both sides realized the strategic importance of the sea, to cut off supply routes, control rivers, and support land operations. One of the greatest developments? The ironclad ship, which could fend off explosive shells capable … Read more