Cover Page

Table of Contents

Introduction

Executive Summary

Interpretation of
the Civil War

Accomplishments
to Date

Review of Current Conditions

Future of Civil War Interpretation

Projected Future Work

Obstacles to Success

Addenda

This report is submitted in response to a Congressional request that the National Park Service (NPS) prepare an assessment of the educational information currently conveyed at Civil War sites that describe the causes of the American Civil War including the role that the institution of slavery played in causing the war. The current interpretation of Civil War sites is influenced by recommendations that came from a general conference of NPS battlefield managers during August 1998 in Nashville, Tennessee. The conference was planned around the topics of roads, adjacent land use, interpretation, and managing and interpreting multiple layers of resources at Civil War sites. The assembled managers established a guiding principle that stated, “Battlefield interpretation must establish the site’s particular place in the continuum of war; illuminate the social, economic, and cultural issues that caused or were affected by the war; illustrate the breadth of human experience during the period, and establish the relevance of the war to people today.”

Regardless of the topic, the job of interpretation in all its forms, is to help people discover their own relationship to and understandings of the reasons why the park exists. A great portion of our interpretive effort to improve the interpretation at Civil War sites is aimed at improving subject matter knowledge, linking the work of the historians with the work of field interpreters, and an improved training program for field interpreters. Work that is ongoing includes seminars, interpretive training, historical studies, new Civil War Internet sites, updated interpretive programs and exhibits, and expanded inventories at park book stores.

A recent inventory of exhibits at Civil War sites revealed that a fair number of the media have been in place since the 1960s and 1970s. A very few date back to the 1930s. Though this survey tells us only a little about the physical state of any of the various media, we can assume that they are dated and in poor condition and that the content lacks current scholarship. In response to concerns expressed by members of Congress the Harpers Ferry Center will work closely with park staffs, regional and WASO historians, and the academic community to create interpretive products and programs that will tell the entire Civil War story. Much of this effort will be devoted to providing visitors to Civil War sites with a better understanding of the economic, political, and social context of the period.

In preparation for this report 28 Civil War sites were asked to review their current park programs and media with an eye towards how the causes of the Civil War were presented especially slavery as a cause. All media products, exhibits, wayside exhibits, films, Internet sites, and public programs were given a cursory review. Each product or services was rated for causes of the Civil War and slavery in a descending scale from “A Great Deal” to “Not at All.” All 28 sites reviewed their programs and returned the survey.

A review of the surveys reveals that there is room for improvement in all categories including exhibits, waysides, films, web sites, publications and personal service programs. Some Civil War sites clearly are covering the causes of the Civil War better than others. In general there is a desire on the part of battlefield managers to improve all areas of interpretation. This desire is thwarted primarily by limited staff and resources in relationship to the amount of media that needs to be made current both technically and academically.

Any major change in the presentation of programs and the replacement of media will require funding. Some progress in this area has been made at several Civil War sites through the Fee Demonstration Program. In FY 98- 99 16 Civil War sites received $1,503,895 that was directed at media replacement and content enrichment. The number of available staff at Civil War sites also has a direct effect on the ability to deliver messages to the public. The complexity of the Civil War story demands a high level of training on the part of NPS historians and interpreters in order to respond in an informed and thoughtful manner to the differing opinions and beliefs held by the visiting public.

Stone House at Manassas NBP

http://www.cr.nps.gov/history/online_books/ICWS/icws_exec.htm