Fort Stevens

Description

This podcast provides a self-guided tour of historic Fort Stevens. According to the Rock Creek Park website, "Fort Stevens served as the focal point for defending Washington, D.C. during a Confederate attack in July of 1864 and is one of nine Civil War installations under the stewardship of Rock Creek Park. On this tour, listeners will learn the role that the fort played during the Battle of Fort Stevens and hear the incredible stories of sacrifice and struggle of those individuals that worked and lived here."

To listen to this tour, select "Podcast" under "Fort Stevens."

Teaching Military History: The Civil War as Case Study

Description

Karl Wallingon of the Naval War College presents a critical analysis of Southern strategy during the Civil War, presenting it as a "game" in which students can engage in analyzing how the South might have won the war. This lecture was delivered as part of "America in the Civil War Era: A History Institute for Teachers," held May 17-18 at Carthage College in Kenosha, WI, sponsored by the Foreign Policy Research Institute's Wachman Center and by the Clausen Center for World Business, Carthage College and Adult Education, Carthage College.

Audio and video options are available.

Stratford Hall

Description

Stratford Hall, home of the Lee family and birthplace of Robert E. Lee, was built by Thomas Lee in the late 1730s. Today, it is furnished with an outstanding collection of predominantly 18th-century American and English decorative arts.

The site offers exhibits, tours, educational program, workshops, research library access, and occasional recreational and educational events (including living history events).

American Civil War Center [VA]

Description

Visitors to the American Civil War Center at Historic Tredegar where can discover the Tredegar Iron Works, once the industrial heart of the Confederacy; explore the Center's flagship exhibit, "In the Cause of Liberty," in the restored 1861 Gun Foundry; learn about the people and events that impacted Tredegar and the Confederate Capital at the Richmond National Battlefield Visitor Center; walk the Tredegar site with a museum guide, hear stories from the home front, or learn the secrets of prison camp survival; and see history come alive as costumed interpreters explore recruitment, training, camp life, and battle experiences of the Civil War soldier.

The site offers exhibits, tours, educational programs, and occasional recreational and educational events (including living history events).

Confederate Memorial Park [AL]

Description

Confederate Memorial Park is the site of Alabama's only Old Soldiers Home for Confederate Veterans. In operation from 1902 to 1939, the home cared for elderly veterans, and wives and widows of veterans. The site included 22 buildings consisting of cottages; a hospital; dairy barn; mess hall; an elaborate water and sewage system; and Memorial Hall, an administration building which held offices, a library, and a large auditorium. The home served between 650 and 800 residents. The majority of veterans served in Alabama outfits, but many were from other Confederate states and moved to Alabama after the war. The last veteran died at the home in 1934. The facility closed in 1939 when the five remaining widows were moved to Montgomery for better care.

The site offers exhibits, tours, educational programs, and occasional recreational and educational events.

Fort Pillow [TN]

Description

The 1,642 acre Fort Pillow is rich in both historic and archaeological significance. In 1861, the Confederate Army built extensive fortifications here and named the site for General Gideon J. Pillow of Maury County. Because of its strategic location, the fort was taken by the Union Army who controlled it during most of the war. The remains of the earthworks are well-preserved.

The site offers a short film, exhibits, tours, educational programs, and recreational and educational events (including living history events).

J.E.B. Stuart Birthplace [VA]

Description

The J.E.B. Stuart Birthplace commemorates the site where J.E.B. Stuart (1833-1864), future Confederate commander, was born. Best known for his mastery of both cavalry and reconnaissance, Stuart treasured his family lands, but was unable to retire to them due to his death on May 12th, 1864, following a wound received at the Battle of Yellow Tavern. The site presents information on his family home, destroyed by fire, and his role in the Civil War.

The site offers a self-guided walking tour with interpretive signage.

Robert Toombs House Historic Site [GA] Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 01/08/2008 - 13:33
Description

Robert Toombs is notable for his service during the mid-1800s as a U.S. Congressman and Senator. He is also known for the creation of the Georgia state constitution, which was not changed until 1945. The home is a beautiful piece of Southern architecture, and today serves as a historic house museum.

The home offers tours, a variety of exhibits, a short video portraying Toombs, and special events including lectures and special exhibits. The website offers a brief biography of Toombs, an events calendar, and visitor information.

Alabama State Capitol [AL]

Description

Completed in 1851, this National Historic Landmark is a museum of state history and politics. Additions to the building were made several times. The Confederacy began in the original Senate chamber and the Selma to Montgomery 1965 Voting Rights March ended on the street in front of the building. Today, the governor and other executive branch officers still occupy offices in the Capitol.

The site offers exhibits and tours.

Surratt House Museum [MD]

Description

Built in 1852 as a middle-class farm house for the family of John and Mary Surratt, the historic Surratt House also served as a tavern and hostelry, a post office, and a polling place during the crucial decade before the Civil War. During the war, it became a safehouse in the Confederate underground system which flourished in Southern Maryland. Today, the museum presents a variety of programs and events, recapturing the history of the mid-19th-century life and focusing on the web of the Lincoln assassination conspiracy and the involvement of the Surratt family.

A second website, maintained by the Surratt Society, can be found here.

The site offers exhibits, tours, educational programs, research library access, and monthly recreational and educational events.