Civil War to Civil Rights Trading Cards

Date: July 14, 2012

National Park Service News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - JULY 13, 2012
CONTACTS NAME: ERIC CAMPBELL [phone]

Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park Announces

Trading cards have been popular with kids for generations, from images of sports figures to movie stars. Now, Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park is offering free trading cards featuring various stories and sites associated with the park and its history.

The cards available at Cedar Creek and Belle Grove NHP are part of a series of 550 cards available at participating national parks throughout the United States. To "earn" a trading card, kids may participate in a ranger-led tour, answer a question about their visit to the park or visit one the park's partner sites, operated by Belle Grove or the Cedar Creek Battlefield Foundation.

"The trading cards are vehicles for telling some 'lesser-known' stories - including those of civilians, women and African-Americans," said Superintendent Diann Jacox. The trading cards are a great way to engage kids with our history as a nation, both here at Cedar Creek and Belle Grove NHP and throughout the United States. According to Superintendent Jacox, the cards also provide an incentive to families with children to visit all parks which offer the cards.

Each trading card tells a little-known story but collectively the cards describe the struggles we have endured as a nation to strive for freedom and equality. The Civil War Sesquicentennial and the 50th Anniversary of the Civil Rights Movement provide opportunities for us to reflect upon our past, celebrate the strides we have made and look forward with commitment to achieve a more perfect union.