History 120

The civil war was the one of the most gruesome wars the US has ever been in. It was fought in over 10,000 different locations. To today, it is the war with the most amounts of US casualties, over 650,000 soldiers killed. It seems as though it would be a difficult task to completely turn oneself into a person of the 1800’s. But with lots of practice and studying, civil war re-enactors are able to recreate history. Civil War reenactments are meant to teach educate the public about the war because re-enactors do not want it to be forgotten. Reenactments are an amazing teaching tool; it is as if having the war happen right in front of your own eyes. A re-enactors goal is to educate you on the war that overwhelmed our country from 1861–1865. The main purpose of a Civil War re-enactor is to keep history alive and keep today’s generation from forgetting about the most devastating war the US has ever been in.
They bring a piece of history back to life in a way that a movie could never do. There are four main categories of Civil war re-enactments:

Living Histories- this includes weapons demonstrations(how to shoot and load a gun),  and portraying the everyday life on a normal soldier. These re-enactors use the same types of equipment, such as guns and tents, and eat the same food that was around during this war.

Public Demonstrations- smaller versions of scripted battles. These battles are more loose interpretation of actual battles of the war.

Tactical battles- These battles are not open to the public. They are fought like real life battles and each side must come up with they’re own strategies to beat the enemy. While scripted battles and public demonstrations are done for public interests, tactical battles are fought for private viewings.
 

Scripted battles- These battles are planned so that each side fights the same way the actual Union and Confederate soldiers fought. This type of battle is most often viewed because of safety and public satisfaction.

            Civil war re-enactors are only able to reproduce a small part of the Civil War, but that small part that they are able to bring back to life is done with such accuracy that it leaves one to believe they are actually witnessing a war. Civil war reenactments offer much more than just a battle. Some had only the battle of its hometown, while many others had duels, fashion shows, and meet and greets with a person or soldier of the civil war period. They demonstrate the creation of different tools that were needed and even practiced church services. Re-enactments are available almost anywhere. The National Civil War Association even has links that can help one organize events for schools.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_War_reenactors

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Civil_War

http://www.ncwa.org/index1.htm

The Civil War was America’s bloodiest and most costly war. It was responsible for the deaths of the most American Soldiers in history. So it seems interesting that there is such a large community who make a point of reenacting some of the war’s most exciting and legendary battles. While some members of conventional society view civil war re-enactors are “weird” or dorky, The Civil War re-enactors provide an exciting and personal look at the civil war that often gets lost among the tediousness of history books.
Civil War reenactment societies take themselves very seriously. It is nearly impossible to have them break character during a reenactment. Why is this important? Civil War reenactors view themselves as teachers responsible for educating the public who watch their reenactments more about the civil war. “The NCWA is committed to educating the public about the Civil War” When learning about things, psychology has shown that you will learn things better if you take a personal interest. By reenacting battles, you give the audience characters to relate to, not just facts from a history book. Having witnessed a reenactment in Gettysburg, PA, I can tell you that it has been one of my most valuable tools for understanding and taking interest in the Civil War.

Another great thing about Civil War recreation societies is there wealth of knowledge and accuracy based on years of research. They have researched to make the uniforms, lodgings, and weaponry as accurate as possible. They are truly a serious society. Take for example, The NCWA, or National Civil War Association’s website. They are committed to truly helping people understand the complexities and motivations behind the civil war. Civil war societies are an extremely valuable and often untapped resource in regards to education of the civil war. Now, local schools often take their students to view civil war reenactments, most frequently as a visual learning tool.

The most important factor of civil war recreation societies is their desire to keep the memories of the legendary civil war. The civil war is one of America’s most compelling historical moments, and these societies are important to keep the public reminded of the importance of the civil war in political, social and economic aspects in American history and America today.

The Civil War is one of the most important battles in countries. It had a major part in shaping the country into what it is today. It is important for us as a society and a country to remember what our fathers fought for. The Civil War re-enactors are there to remind us of the blood that was shed and the number of people that died fight in the countries most controversial war.

It is easy to forget about the men and women that died for their country in this war. Part of that is due to the fact that this country has a number of immigrants flowing in each year, all of which do not understand the sacrifice that was made in order to make this country the way it is today. However, it is mostly due to the lack of interest and knowledge in the majority of the people. If it weren’t for the Civil War re-enactments we would have long forgotten the intensity of the war.

These re-enactments aren’t as easy and simple as most people might think. They take time and are costly. They are carefully and cautiously studied. They use correct weapons and uniforms. They try to reenact as closely as possible the war on the fields. They cover important battles and show their significance. They also portray key individuals. Some of the individuals include President Abraham Lincoln and General Lee.

These reenactments are done throughout the United States. They are nationally recognized by libraries, parks, and schools. When they are not on the field working, they hold events in parades, school events, and even at ceremonies. They have been great teachers to the American society and continue to do so. They show emotions and sensations that words cannot describe.

Aside from what they have on the field, these reenactments also hold forums that teach others of the Civil War and show its importance. The Civil War without these re-enactors would have died long ago. Their dedication and understanding for the cause of the combat keeps the fire that sparked the Civil War burning.

http://www.cwreenactors.com/index.php

http://www.acws.net/about_acws.htm

On April 12, 1861, Southern slave states attacked a federal military installation at Fort Sumter in South California. The most complex war in American history was commenced that day. The war ended in 1865 with a victory for the North. About hundred years later, Civil War reenactment began to remember the war. It was an effort to recreate event related to the Civil War. Reenactments are serious about teaching people about the events and the consequences of the Civil War, and it tells that Americans want to preserve the memory of the most terrible conflict in our history. 

The first American Civil War reenactment website was the American Civil War Society. The goal of  the ACWS is “to educate the public through as many diversified perspectives as were the issues back in 1861 - 1865.” [1] They fulfill their objective by offering various activities related to the Civil War to the public. They seem to reenact politics such as Southern States Right and vulnerable pages of American history. This group portrays not only battles, but also the civilian lifestyles by providing many other activities other than just battles such as a fashion show, the field hospital, the Civil War band, and so on. They have researched and developed correct uniforms, weapons, civilian attire, and living history encampments to portray the Civil War accurately. The society sees reenactments as a means of informing Americans about the military, political, and social that were linked with the causes, events, and the aftermath of the Civil War. The society is a non-profit organization based in California. They seem successful because many people have participated in the reenactment activities, and those who have participated would learn about the Civil War.

Secondly, the next Civil War reenactment website was the 54th Mass Volunteer Infantry Company. This company is an African-American reenactment unit while the other two groups are living history organizations. This is a big difference from the other two groups. On the top of its web page, the company clearly states that “they are portraying the experience of African American soldiers in South California.” [2] They also introduce their events and activities, and their activities are all associated with African-American soldiers. Moreover, their web page gives historical information on African-American in the Civil War. This is the evidence that they only reenact African-American soldiers. The main objective of the 54th Mass is teaching the public about the Civil War and the preservation of the memory of African-American soldiers. They accomplish their goal  by going in to schools, colleges, or youth groups and educating them. The company concentrates upon presenting the history of the Civil War as it occurred in South Carolina.

Finally, the third Civil War reenactment website to be assessed was the National Civil War Association. The perspective from the National Civil War Association reenacts is very similar to other two groups that previously mentioned. Their goal is to educate the public about the event and people of the Civil War by  presenting living history in. National Civil War Association is committed to teaching history through reenactments, classroom visits, and lectures. Another feature that it has in common with the other two groups that it is a non-profit organization. The National Civil War Association likes to stage its events all over the US although it is based in Northern California. Schools can even arrange for the National Civil War Association to visit them by booking online. This society prides its self upon authenticity of its reenactment in terms of events depicted and the accuracy of uniforms and weapons used in its displays. [3]

The three groups take reenactment more seriously than just dressing up as soldiers of that conflict, and going camping in a few tents. The reenactment groups seek to be as historically accurate as possible. Even though their reenactment well researched as possible, they sometimes criticized for their sentimentalized historical portrait. However, the most significant thing about the reenactment is that it educates the public and helps to preserve the memory of the Civil War. They accomplish their goal by inviting people to reenactment events and visiting schools. As people get involved or watch the Civil War related events, people can understand better our history. People can learn the way soldiers lived and the way they fought. Moreover, people can feel soldiers’ hopes, dreams, loves, and hardships throughout portraying the events that is related to Civil War. Therefore, reenactments certainly have a potential role in teaching history in livelier way than merely reading textbooks in a classroom.

[1]www.acws.net
[2]http://www.awod.com/cwchas/54ma.html
[3]www.ncwa.org

Civil war re-enactors are only able to recreate a small part of the Civil War, but that small part that they are able to bring back to life is done with such accuracy that it leaves one to believe they are actually witnessing a war.

Civil war reenactments offer much more than just a battle. Some had only the battle of its hometown, while many others had duels, fashion shows, and meet and greets with a person or soldier of the civil war period. They demonstrate the creation of different tools that were needed and even practiced church services. I have always found reenactments to be interesting. They bring a piece of history back to life in a way that a movie could never do. My uncle plays Robert E. Lee in reenactments in Hawaii and other areas. When we visited him seven years ago we were able to watch him in action. Even though I knew him, when he put on his uniform and acted out his character, he was a totally different person. Men and women dedicate so much of their time to this show and it really shows.

I found the reenactments of the civil war to be very interesting. It’s like watching a movie about it, but in real life. They reminded me a lot of Renaissance festivals that are hosted in the area a lot throughout the year. I would strongly suggest to anyone to make time one day and visit one.

http://www.gettysburgreenactment.com/news/index.htm

http://www.sutler.net/eventlist.asp

http://www.battleofchas.com/REENACTOR%20SCHEDULE.htm

http://www.cwreenactors.com/~thirdmd/