Virginia Sesquicentennial of the American Civil War Commission

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Virginia Sesquicentennial of theAmerican Civil
War Commission

• William J. Howell, Chairman
• Speaker of the House of Delegates
• Charles J. Colgan, Sr., Vice Chairman
• President pro tempore, Senate of Virginia
• Cheryl Jackson
• Executive Director

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Virginia Sesquicentennial of theAmerican Civil
War Commission

• Sesquicentennial Commission established by HB
  1440 (2006)
• Commission membership
• Speaker William J. Howell, Chair
• Sen. Charles J. Colgan, Sr., Vice Chair Sen. R.
  Creigh Deeds
• Del. Albert C. Eisenberg Sen. John S. Edwards
• Del. Algie T. Howell, Jr. Sen. Janet D.
  Howell
• Del. Johnny S. Joannou Sen. Mamie E. Locke
• Del. R. Steven Landes John P. Ackerly, III
• Del. L. Scott Lingamfelter Dr. James I.
  Robertson, Jr.
• Del. Thomas C. Wright, Jr. Dr. Charles F.
  Bryan, Jr

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Virginia Sesquicentennial of theAmerican Civil
War Commission

• Vision statement logo Understanding Our Past,
  Embracing Our Future
• Goals for the commemoration
• Diversity The commemoration will be inclusive
  of, and meaningful to, all Virginians,
  particularly
• Diverse racial and ethnic groups
• Immigrants and citizens who do not have a
  hereditary link to the American Civil War and
• Young people who do not understand the relevance
  of the American Civil War to today's population
• Inclusiveness The commemoration will seek to
  portray a fair and balanced story of Virginia's
  participation in the American Civil War that
  includes the African-American, Union and
  Confederate perspectives.
• Statewide Accessibility The commemoration will
  be statewide, involving all localities and
  encompassing all Civil War-related institutions,
  museums, battlefields, parks and facilities in
  the Commonwealth.
• 4. Education The commemoration period have a
  strong education component, which will be
  intended to ignite a renewed interest in
  Virginia's historical heritage. Preservation of
  endangered battlefields Americas outdoor
  classrooms will be strongly encouraged.

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Virginia Sesquicentennial of theAmerican Civil
War Commission

• Commission Accomplishments
• Website www.VirginiaCivilWar.org
• Hired Development Officer created 501 (c)(3)
  nonprofit corporation
• Encouraged, worked with and offered technical
  assistance to other states to begin planning
  monitored planning at the federal level
• Working with localities as each forms
  sesquicentennial committee (93/134 total)
• Meet regularly throughout the state conduct
  media tours
• Approved a special license plate for the
  sesquicentennial
• Planning a number of statewide commemorative
  initiatives

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Virginia Sesquicentennial of theAmerican Civil
War Commission

• Plans in Development
• Museum Exhibition An American Turning Point
  The Civil War in Virginia
• Major statewide traveling exhibition rich in
  artifacts, documents, and high-tech components
• Two parts (battlefront and homefront) approx.
  4,000 sq. ft.
• Open in Richmond (Virginia Historical Society) in
  February 2011
• Travel to Roanoke, Abingdon, Lynchburg,
  Winchester, Manassas, Hampton and Appomattox
• A panel exhibition will be developed to travel to
  museums throughout the state and beyond.

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Virginia Sesquicentennial of theAmerican Civil
War Commission

• Plans in Development
• Educational Film Produced by Blue Ridge Public
  Television and the Virginia Tech Center for Civil
  War Studies
• Distributed free of charge to every school,
  library, archives, and historical society in the
  state beginning in August
• Divided into nine 20-minute segments designed for
  use by teachers in the classroom
• Segments will focus on the background of the war,
  military campaigns, the African-American
  experience, leading Virginia personalities, the
  common soldiers, homefront activities (including
  women and medical care) and legacies of the war
  for all Americans.

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Virginia Sesquicentennial of theAmerican Civil
War Commission

• Plans in Development
• Grants Partner with the Virginia Tourism
  Corporation to award competitive micro-grants to
  local sesquicentennial committees for a variety
  of Civil War 150 programs with a marketing
  component, such as publications, website
  development, advertisements, etc.
• Interactive battlefield tours Partner with NPS
  and state battlefield sites throughout the state
  to develop interactive vodcast battlefield
  tours for widespread access through the Internet.
• Strategic Marketing Plan Work with the Virginia
  Tourism Corporation to develop and implement an
  8-year marketing plan for the statewide
  commemoration.

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Virginia Sesquicentennial of theAmerican Civil
War Commission

• Plans under Discussion
• HistoryMobile (tractor trailer) exhibition
  Develop a mobile Civil War 150 exhibition,
  featuring key artifacts and documents plus
  high-tech maps and displays, that would travel to
  localities throughout the state and outside of
  the state to promote Virginia Civil War tourism.
• Digitization project Partner with the Library of
  Virginia for a major initiative to identify,
  collect, catalog, and preserve Civil War
  documents currently held in private collections
  through digital scanning. This initiative may be
  combined with the HistoryMobile to promote the
  program and for ease of scanning original
  documents.
• Pilot project is currently underway in Danville
  may be extended to Washington and Chesterfield
  counties and others.

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Virginia Sesquicentennial of theAmerican Civil
War Commission

• Plans under Discussion
• Signature Conferences and Law School Symposia
  An annual conference series featuring the
  nations finest historians, intended to foster
  broad public understanding of the history of the
  Civil War. Conference topics tentatively include
  
• 2009 America on the Eve of the Civil War
  (University of Richmond April 29, 2009)
• 2010 African-Americans and the Civil War
• 2011 American Military Strategy and the Civil
  War
• 2012 Leadership and Generalship in the Civil War
• 2013Civil War in a Global Context
• 2014 The Home Front in the Civil War
• 2015 Memory of the Civil War
• Symposia The 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments to
  the Constitution Constitutional issues
  surrounding the separation and formation of West
  Virginia

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Virginia Sesquicentennial of theAmerican Civil
War Commission

• Plans under Discussion Special Events
• Kickoff event Harpers Ferry June 25, 2009
• 150th anniversary of John Browns Raid
• Partnering with West Virginia for inaugural event
• Purpose Bring national attention to the
  sesquicentennial media presence
• Panel discussions with historians, tours
• Significant milestone events
• 2011 Battle of First Manassas
• 2012 Battle of the Ironclads Peninsula
  Campaign (Hampton Roads peninsula area)
• Seven Days Battles (Richmond)
• Jacksons Valley Campaign (Shenandoah Valley)
• 2013 Emancipation Proclamation
• Chancellorsville (Fredericksburg/Stafford)
• 2014 Overland Campaign (Spotsylvania)
• Siege of Petersburg
• 2015 Culmination (Appomattox)

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Virginia Sesquicentennial of theAmerican Civil
War Commission

• Statewide Coordination
• Coordination The Commission will lead the
  linkage, coordination, unification, and support
  of existing museums and sites, in lieu of
  building a new facility.
• Promote Civil War destinations through
• Interactive website
• Computer kiosks
• Maps and brochures at Welcome Centers and
  locations throughout the state
• Comprehensive marketing plan
• Goal Making travel easy for visitors
• Local sesquicentennial committee liaison with
  the state Commission and plan events to highlight
  Civil War history and experience in the community.

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Virginia Sesquicentennial of theAmerican Civil
War Commission

• Local Sesquicentennial Committees
• To every extent possible, the local
  sesquicentennial committee should include
  representatives of
• Office of the chief administrative official
• Governing body (i.e., City Council or Board of
  Supervisors)
• Tourism industry organizations
• Convention and Visitors' Bureau or visitors'
  services office
• Chamber of Commerce or economic development
  office
• Education community (e.g., Superintendent,
  teachers, PTA representatives, etc.)
• Local battlefields and National Park Service
  personnel
• Civil War Trails local coordinator
• Civil War museums and facilities
• Public libraries and historical societies
• Public and private nonprofit organizations and
  agencies engaged in commemorating historical
  events
• Seek resolution or endorsement from Board of
  Supervisors/City Council

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Virginia Sesquicentennial of theAmerican Civil
War Commission

• Questions as the Committee Gets Started (courtesy
  of Norfolk CW 150 committee)
• What is unique or distinctive about our
  community?
• Where does our communitys Civil War story begin?
• Where are the stories and who are the players?
• - Hospitals - Battles/skirmishes -
  High-profile visitors
• - Prisons - Historic homes - Pre-Civil War
  churches
• - Cemeteries - Military occupation
• Who are our communitys stakeholders?
• What is the takeaway?

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Virginia Sesquicentennial of theAmerican Civil
War Commission

• Local Sesquicentennial Committees Suggested
  activities
• Inventory Civil War sites for Then/Now
  interactive map provide narrative history of the
  localitys Civil War involvement for website
• Plan events and activities that highlight the
  localitys Civil War history and that have
  importance and meaning to its citizens (include
  multiple perspectives)
• MOU Assignment and monitoring of
  logo/sesquicentennial activities
• Promote and support the Commissions signature
  events, such as the annual conference series, the
  HistoryMobile and the document digitization
  project
• Record Podcast tours of battlefields
• Join or expand participation in Civil War Trails
  program
• Seek resolution or endorsement from the Board of
  Supervisors/City Council

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Virginia Sesquicentennial of theAmerican Civil
War Commission

• Local Sesquicentennial Committees The
  Commissions Role
• Serve as the umbrella under which all activities
  and events fall - - coordinating and marketing
  the state, with the goal of making travel easy
  for visitors.
• Develop and implement a strategic statewide
  marketing campaign through the Virginia Tourism
  Corporation.
• Publicize activities through a statewide master
  calendar of events
• Administer a competitive micro-grant program
  coordinated by VTC to provide financial support
  to local committees for marketing of
  sesquicentennial events and activities.
• Provide technical assistance by aiding searches
  for grants, in-kind resources, etc.
• Work with the local committee to schedule a
  HistoryMobile tour and Document Digitization
  project.
• Keep local committees informed of and involved in
  the Commission's activities. Hold periodic
  "Civil War 150 Local Committee Roundtable"
  meetings

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Virginia Sesquicentennial of theAmerican Civil
War CommissionStaff Contact Information

• Cheryl Jackson Richard Oliver
• Executive Director Research Assistant
• Brenda Edwards Danielle Watkins
• Senior Research Associate Development Officer
• Gwen Foley
• Senior Operations Staff Assistant
• Virginia Sesquicentennial of the American Civil
  War Commission
• Division of Legislative Services
• 910 Capitol Street, GAB, 2nd floor
• Richmond, Virginia 23219
• Phone [phone]
• Email info_at_virginiacivilwar.org
• donate_at_virginiacivilwar.org
• Website www.VirginiaCivilWar.org