Adams County Historical Society Presents Two Exciting Programs in February

Frederick Douglass on Sat Feb 3rd
& Trauma and the Civil War on Thu Feb 15

Join Frederick Douglass, the former slave, writer, orator, and abolitionist (interpreted by Nathan M. Richardson), for an hour long conversation, reflecting on his life and times including slavery and the Civil War. Participants are invited to bring questions for Mr. Douglass on any topic from the period, including his relationship with Abraham Lincoln.

This program is in collaboration with the Lincoln Cemetery Project Association and will be held on Saturday, February 3rd at 7 p.m. at the Adams County Historical Society (625 Biglerville Road). The program is free for ACHS members and $10/general admission.

Reserve Tickets

Is PTSD a barrier to understanding Civil War trauma? Join historian Peter Carmichael as he pursues an answer to this question on Thursday, February 15th at 7 p.m. at the Adams County Historical Society (625 Biglerville Road). Through a range of letters and reports from soldiers and physicians, Carmichael will shed light on the distinctive ways through which Americans during the Civil War understood battlefield trauma.

Tickets are free for ACHS members and $10/general admission.

Reserve Tickets

GAR Museum Free Zoom Program for Sunday, February 4, 2024

THE GRAND ARMY OF THE REPUBLIC (G.A.R.) CIVIL WAR MUSEUM & ARCHIVE

 

Presents a New Program via ZOOM 

 Sunday, February 4, 2024 at 1pm

African Americans and the Gettysburg Campaign:

The Many Ways that African Americans Affected and Were Affected by the Gettysburg Campaign” 

By James Paradis

This presentation examines the black residents of the town who lived “on the fault line” between slavery and freedom, and the impact of the battle on them.  This talk gives an account of the unheralded, but important, part played by the thousands of African Americans who accompanied both armies to the battlefield.  We will also tell the little-known story of Black volunteers from Pennsylvania who engaged the Southern invaders in combat during the invasion.  Finally, we will consider the response of African Americans who came forward during the aftermath of the battle.

James Paradis teaches at Arcadia University.  He recently retired from Doane Academy where he served as Dean of the Upper School and taught history for 35 years.  He has authored two books.  His doctoral dissertation at Temple University became "Strike the Blow for Freedom: The 6th United States Colored Infantry in the Civil War."  His second book, "African Americans and the Gettysburg Campaign," with foreword by Edwin C. Bearss, Chief Historian Emeritus, National Park Service, was published by Scarecrow Press, a division of Rowman and Littlefield, 2005.  An expanded Sesquicentennial Edition was released in September 2012.

Dr. Paradis has served for many years on the board of directors of Citizens for the Restoration of Historical La Mott, which preserves of the site of Camp William Penn, the first and largest training camp for Black soldiers in the Civil War.  He served as historical consultant and narrator for the documentary film, "Black Soldiers in Blue: The Story of Camp William Penn," released in 2009.  In 2011 the NAACP of Cheltenham, PA awarded him a Certificate of Recognition for his contributions preserving African American history.

Please send a request to reserve a virtual seat for this outstanding presentation by replying to this e-mail at

garmuslib1866@gmail.com 

 

You will be sent a link with a password that will enable you to access the program within 24 hours of the start of the presentation. 

 

We will make every effort to reply, but G-Mail may be slow and our volunteer may be called away during the day before or the morning of February 4, 2024

As a lover of history, you know how critical it is to keep history alive, especially today!  We very much appreciate your continued support for the GAR Civil War Museum & Archive

A FREE virtual program online

GRAND ARMY OF THE REPUBLIC MUSEUM & ARCHIVE
In its new location:
8110 Frankford Ave. (Holmesburg - N.E. Philadelphia)
 www.garmuslib.org

Central Virginia Battlefields Trust Spring Seminar - Saturday, March 9th.

WAR IN THE BALANCE

The Central Virginia Battlefields Trust will host its inaugural Spring Seminar on Saturday, March 9, 2024, at the historic Wilderness Baptist Church’s fellowship hall from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

The seminar is focused on the often ignored but historically important events in central and northern Virginia that occurred between the Battle of Chancellorsville in May 1863 and the Battle of the Wilderness a year later.

  Speakers include noted historians and authors Mike Block, Dan Davis, John Hennessy, Kevin Pawlak and Ted Savas.

​ Interesting and rare Civil War relics will be on hand for viewing and discussion courtesy of CVBT Board member Paul Scott!

​ Select authors will have books for sale.

  A box lunch is included in the $40 registration fee. 

CLICK BELOW FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO REGISTER

​ Purchase tickets

Lawsuit Filed to Stop Manassas Data Center

A lawsuit was filed Friday in a bid to prevent a massive data processing facility from being built next to Manassas National Battlefield Park/Kurt Repanshek file

National Parks Traveler has posted that a lawsuit was filed to stop the data center recently approved next to Manassas Battlefield.

A lawsuit has been filed in a bid to halt a massive data processing center from being built next to Manassas National Battlefield Park in Virginia.

Prince William County supervisors in December voted 4-3 to rezone 2,100 acres next to the battlefield, which was the setting for the First Battle of Bull Run (First Manassas) on July 21, 1861, and the Second Battle of Bull Run (Second Manassas) over nearly the same ground during August 28-30, 1862, so the PW Digital Gateway could be built there.

“The Manassas Battlefield is a national treasure and the very definition of hallowed ground,” said David Duncan, president of the American Battlefield Trust, which joined the lawsuit with nine area residents. “Hundreds of thousands of people visit this national park every year, generating tourism dollars for the community and providing local residents with recreational trails and open space. It is reckless in the extreme to jeopardize this historic sanctuary over a development that could easily be built elsewhere in the state.”

A release from the Trust described the planned data center as the "world's largest."

The 81-page lawsuit, filed Friday, claims the county failed to consider the enivonmental fallout of the project, ignored county regulations in rezoning the land, and that special use permits for the project were not filed. A press release from the Trust states that the proposed data center "would overshadow famed Brawner Farm where, at the Second Battle of Manassas in August 1862, Union and Confederate forces faced off against one another in horrific combat. The fallow fields that were the launching point for one of the most devasting and decisive assaults of the Civil War could soon be blanketed with as many as thirty-seven data centers — eight-story, drab concrete-and-steel behemoths that would loom over the battlefield park."

“Even a month after the vote, it remains dumbfounding that Prince William County ignored its own professional staff, its planning commission, hundreds of concerned citizens, and pleas from the National Park Service and the historic preservation community to protect one of the County’s most famous and treasured landmarks,” said Duncan in the release.

In reviewing the proposal in 2022, Justin Patton, the Prince William County archaeologist, wrote that the project would "have a high potential to adversely affect cultural resources in the following forms: indirect effects such as Audio, and Visual; and direct effects in the destruction of the resource. Transportation improvements necessary to implement land use and zoning changes, will likely have an indirect and direct effects on our history as well."

Among those who voiced opposition to the data center was filmmaker Ken Burns, who in January 2022 wrote the county supervisors to urge them to oppose the project.

"As a student and chronicler of American history for more than 40 years, I can attest to how fragile our precious heritage is and how susceptible it can be to the ravages of 'progress,'" Burns said in that letter. "I learned while making my documentary series The Civil War in the late 1980s—and again when I made my 2009 series on the history of the national parks—how crucial the preservation of our historic landscapes is, and I fear the devastating impact the development of up to 2,133 acres of data centers will have on this hallowed ground."

Gettysburg Film Festival Features Ken Burns in April

 Gettysburg Film Festival

Internationally acclaimed documentary filmmaker Ken Burns will return to Gettysburg on April 5th and 6th, 2024 for a festival celebrating his nearly five-decade-long career. Joined by friends and collaborators, Burns will present excerpts and full-length films that examine fundamental themes of freedom and democracy, consequential elections throughout history, and our shared identity as Americans.

The Adams County Historical Society is a producer and co-host of this festival.

Tickets are on sale NOW! Click the button below to reserve your seats before the festival sells out.

Reserve Tickets

Schedule

Ken Burns: Lessons from Lincoln – Friday, April 5th at 7 pm

Gettysburg Area High School, 1130 Old Harrisburg Road, Gettysburg

Ken Burns: Our Democracy Challenged – Saturday, April 6th at 10 a.m.

Majestic Theater, 25 Carlisle Street, Gettysburg

Ken Burns: Consequential Elections – Saturday, April 6th at 2:30 p.m.

Majestic Theater, 25 Carlisle Street, Gettysburg

Also:
An Evening with Jay Ungar and Molly Mason – Saturday, April 6th at 7:30 p.m.

Adams County Historical Society, 625 Biglerville Road, Gettysburg

Storytelling on YouTube: A Live Episode with The History Underground and Vlogging Through History – Sunday, April 7th at 1 p.m.

Adams County Historical Society, 625 Biglerville Road, Gettysburg

Confederate Memorial to be Removed from Arlington

NPR.org Dec 18 - Sarah McCammon

Click this link to read the original story

NOTE: This removal has been in the courts. It was temporarily paused, but now has been allowed to proceed. Read the latest here

For a reflective narrative about the memorial - read this from the Arlington website

A monument to Confederate soldiers is scheduled to be removed from Arlington National Cemetery by the end of the week.

The removal comes in response to legislation passed by Congress, and amidst efforts in recent years to take down symbols honoring slaveholders and Confederate leaders.

In 2021, Congress passed a law requiring the Department of Defense to look at removing "names, symbols, displays, monuments, or paraphernalia" commemorating the Confederacy.

Arlington's Confederate Memorial offers a "mythologized vision of the Confederacy, including highly sanitized depictions of slavery," according to a report prepared by a commission set up in response to that legislation. The report notes that an inscription promotes the "Lost Cause" myth, "which romanticized the pre-Civil War South and denied the horrors of slavery."

The monument, designed by sculptohttps://www.npr.org/2023/12/18/1219896375/confederate-memorial-arlington-national-cemetery-dismantled r Moses Ezekiel, was erected in 1914 with congressional approval at the cemetery located across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C.

University of Maryland historian Leslie Rowland told NPR and WBUR's Here and Now that funds for the memorial were raised by the United Daughters of the Confederacy, which existed largely to "vindicate Confederate soldiers and other members of the Confederate generation." They did so by "putting forward a sanitized, romanticized version of the pre-Civil War South," Rowland said.

Arlington National Cemetery says bronze pieces of the memorial will be removed, and its granite base will be left in place "to avoid disturbing surrounding graves." According to a press release, the removal will be finished by Dec. 22.

The plan to take down the monument has received pushback from some Republican leaders, including more than 40 members of Congress who've called for halting the removal. The Washington Post reported in September that Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin has asked the Virginia Military Institute to display the statue at a Civil War museum it operates.

NOTE: This removal has been in the courts, but has now been allowed to proceed.
Read the most recent news here

For a reflective narrative about the memorial - read this from the Arlington website

General Meade Birthday Ceremony on Dec 31

General Meade Birthday Ceremony

WHEN

Sunday, December 31, 2023
11:00 am - 2:00 pm

WHERE

Laurel Hill East

RSVP

Join the General Meade Society for its annual celebration of Major General George Meade’s birthday. The event will include a Civil War Band concert, a parade to the grave of General Meade, speakers, wreath-laying, and a champagne toast.

COST

Free

DIRECTIONS

This event will take place at Laurel Hill East, located at 3822 Ridge Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19132. Information on directions, parking, and visiting guidelines are linked here to better plan your visit.

https://laurelhillphl.com/event/meade-birthday/?mc_cid=2307a01b71&mc_eid=27756ca12e

Fifteen Gettysburg acres are still at risk - Help Needed


When we learned about one big developer’s plan to build eight multi-story apartment buildings with 112 apartments covering 15 acres on the very land that saw some of the earliest and most dramatic moments of the Battle of Gettysburg, we did what we had to do.


In October we launched an urgent plea to raise $375,000 before the November 20th deadline to secure the downpayment on our multi-year campaign “First Blood at Willoughby’s Run.”

 

And although you and hundreds of your fellow Trust members gave generously to save this land at Gettysburg, we still came up $78,000 short.


Faced with this urgent threat at Gettysburg, we dipped into our rainy-day fund and reallocated money earmarked for other priorities to meet the November 20th deadline so we could prevent the construction of those apartments on hallowed ground.

 

Who knows what would have happened if we hadn’t stepped up to save this land at Gettysburg...


But now, we’ll either have to borrow money at today’s sky-high interest rates, or we’ll end up being forced to let other important preservation opportunities slip through our fingers. Because in the battlefield preservation world, either we come up with the funds, or the bulldozers and steamrollers rev up their engines.


Please help us raise the remaining $78,000 needed for the downpayment on Gettysburg. If we work together and 1,000 generous folks give at least $78 each, we’ll reach our goal.

 

 Any gift you contribute today will help.

 

'Til the battle is won,

David N. Duncan, President

American Battlefield Trust

New PA State Archives Building to Open Dec 13th

Historical & Museum Commission Host Grand Opening of New State-of-the-Art Pennsylvania State Archives Building

December 08, 2023

The new state archives building houses more than 250 million documents in the Commonwealth’s archival collections and replaces the former building, which was built in 1965, and will open on December 13, 2023.

Harrisburg, PA – Today, Governor Josh Shapiro joined Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission (PHMC) officials and Department of General Services Secretary Reggie McNeil for the grand opening of the new Pennsylvania State Archives building at 1681 N. Sixth Street in Harrisburg. The building will open officially to the general public at 9:00 am on Wednesday, December 13, 2023, returning to its regular hours.

“Our state archivists work hard to preserve timeless treasures that tell the story of Pennsylvania. I’m proud to join the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission in celebrating the grand opening of a space that gives them the tools they need to preserve and maintain our archives,” said Governor Josh Shapiro. “Understanding our history is key to determining the path forward – and I want Pennsylvanians for generations to come to be able to rediscover our history and learn from it. We’re committed to reminding Pennsylvanians that these archives aren’t just here to protect our Commonwealth’s treasures – they’re here for them to use.”

The Pennsylvania State Archives, which is part of PHMC, collects, preserves, and makes available for study the permanently valuable public records of the Commonwealth, with particular attention given to the records of state government. The State Archives also collects papers of private citizens and organizations relevant to Pennsylvania history.

Visitors to the new Pennsylvania State Archives building can use the public computers to research their own family history – with free access to Ancestry.com. They’ll be able to view digital records that the Archives has put on the internet and many images that are not yet available online. They can interact with Digital Gateway touch screens to see selected documents and videos from the Archives or browse the library of books related to Pennsylvania history. Visitors can research the history of their family, town, or county or explore maps of the area where they live or access records, maps, and photographs about the development of Pennsylvania’s canals, railroads, and industries.

“The Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission is honored to welcome Pennsylvanians to this new state-of-the-art facility – a fitting home for the treasures entrusted to us for current and future generations,” said PHMC Executive Director Andrea Lowery.

The Archives preserves such historic documents as the original 1681 Charter granted by King Charles II to William Penn and the 1780 Act for the Gradual Abolition of Slavery to more recent records, including the papers of the Pennsylvania Commission on Three Mile Island and State Police Col. Paul Evanko’s field notes of the 9/11 terrorist attacks related to the Flight 93 crash.

“The Pennsylvania State Archives preserves any record the state government must keep forever,” said State Archivist David Carmicheal. “Just like the important records that individuals and families preserve, the Archives preserves documents that protect Pennsylvanians legally – like all the acts of the State Legislature – and those that tell their history, such as photographs and letters and diaries.”

The new building houses the Commonwealth’s archival collections – more than 250 million documents that are kept in perpetuity by PHMC for all Pennsylvanians. These collections were transferred to the new building throughout late summer and early fall of 2023 – a process equivalent to moving a typical three-bedroom house 78 times.

Construction began in May 2020 and was completed this past summer at a cost of $75 million. The new 145,000-square-foot structure replaces the familiar tower at Third and Forster streets, adjacent to the State Museum of Pennsylvania. The Archives had outgrown the space, which was built in 1965 and lacked adequate fire suppression and environmental systems to protect the Commonwealth’s most valuable documents.

“Ensuring the preservation of the Commonwealth’s history is crucial for our future. The enhancements provided by the new State Archives building in safeguarding our records are invaluable,” said DGS Secretary McNeil. “I commend the DGS team for their work on this state-of-the-art facility and express gratitude to PHMC and the Governor’s Office for their partnership and support.”

The Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission is the official history agency of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Learn more by visiting PHMC online or following us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or LinkedIn.

You may also see a video story as reported on WGAL by clicking this link