The Civil War Trust Receives 2018 Friend Of History Award from The Organization Of American Historians

By the OAH · Originally published June 2018 · p. 22

BLOOMINGTON, Ind.— During its annual meeting in Sacramento, California, the Organization of American Historians (OAH) presented the Civil War Trust with their prestigious 2018 Friend of History Award, given annually to an institution, organization, or individual working primarily outside college or university settings, for outstanding support of historical research, the public presentation of American history, or the work of the OAH.

Friend of History Award Battlefields are part of our national heritage, scenes of struggle and sacrifice where American soldiers lost their lives. The Civil War Trust is working to preserve these “hallowed grounds,” as Abraham Lincoln called them, so that future generations can learn from them and can learn to appreciate their hard-won freedom. The Civil War Trust inspires an interest in history through preservation of battlefield lands and by educating the public about their significance in forging the nation we are today. Although primarily focused on preserving Civil War sites, through its Campaign 1776 initiative, the Trust also preserves Revolutionary War and War of 1812 battlegrounds. The Trust has saved threatened acreage at some of the most famous places in U.S. history: Antietam, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Lexington, Princeton, and Shiloh, for example. Since its founding in 1987, the Trust has saved more than 48,000 acres in 24 states at 125 battlefields and historic sites. In tandem with its preservation efforts and heritage-tourism initiatives, the Civil War Trust has developed a rich tradition of providing quality educational materials to all people, with a focus upon teachers who can, in turn, inspire their students. All of the Trust’s cutting-edge history education materials are free. Its programs are rich and varied to reach people in meaningful ways in the classroom, on the web, on battlefields, in books and media, and at events. The

Trust’s website, civilwar.org, is a repository of exceptional digital material tailored to classroom use. There, tens of thousands of teachers can access 90 videos in the “Civil War In4” series, short and topical videos that address crucial events, issues, and personalities of the Civil War such as U.S. Grant, the Emancipation Proclamation, and army organization. Teachers rave about the “In4” videos because they are judiciously edited to be used in the classroom. The website also has dozens of other videos, and thousands of articles, biographies, and photos seen by millions of people each year. The Trust’s site features a Civil War curriculum that provides a wide range of primary-source-based lesson plan materials for teachers, including cross references to related materials, PowerPoints, and handouts. Other web resources include 360-degree battlefield panorama Virtual Tours, “Your State in the Civil War” videos, Animated Battle Maps, and GPS-enabled smartphone and tablet Battle Apps that can be used both in the classroom and on battlefields. This autumn, the Trust will launch new curricula for the Civil War and the War of 1812. One of the Trust’s most popular resources is the Traveling Trunk, which is booked on a regular basis from August through June. In the five Traveling Trunks, teachers find all manner of hands-on materials, ranging from cotton bolls with seeds to faux Minié balls, replica uniforms, music CDs, and videos. Also included are lesson plans to help teachers engagingly employ these materials. This school year, the Trust’s five Trunks will reach about 3,500 students in 75 schools in 23 states and the District of Columbia. The Trust’s education efforts have exploded in recent years with its entry into the American Revolution and the War of 1812; the proliferation of video and the Facebook Live platform; and the launching of a “Generations” program, urging adults to share their passion for history with younger people. The Trust’s four 2017 “Generations” events included visitors marching in the footsteps of their ancestors at Gettysburg, learning about cavalry at Brandy Station, Va.; defending Library Hill in Pittsburgh, Pa.; and charging Henry Hill at Bull Run. This school year, through its Field Trip Fund, the Trust expects to help send thousands of students from 100-plus schools in 20

states on field trips to battlefields and other historic sites, including Gettysburg, the War of 1812’s Fort McHenry in Baltimore, Md., and Revolutionary War-era Philadelphia. In 2014, the Civil War Trust launched the Teachers Regiment, an online community of educators who share a deep passion and interest in the Civil War. Within the Teachers Regiment are specific companies organized by members: Instructional Technology, the Civil War and Memory, an Ancestry Company, and a Service Learning Company, among others. The Trust expects some 200 educators at its 18th annual National Teacher Institute this July in Valley Forge, Pa., for five lectures, 15 workshops, and three tours. The Civil War Trust staff and its members believe that land preservation and solid history education are essential not only to understanding our national narrative but also to be productive American citizens, and that it can be fun, too. In addition to the cutting-edge nature of the Trust’s resources, its staff is committed to quality programming by taking user feedback seriously and using that information to shape future activities and programs. The award was presented on April 13 by OAH’s 2017–18 President Edward L. Ayers and 2018–19 President Earl Lewis. For more information, visit the website oah.org