That one of the few I have not made it to yet.
Americans’ Loss Of Interest In Civil War Battlefields Is Part Of A Disturbing Trend
- Thread starter GURPS
- Start date
Right, but that's you, not the public at-large. And as the younger generation ages, it will become less and less. If we want to preserve our history, we have to make it interesting and accessible for the next generation.
Or you can just let it die of boredom.
The Siege of Vicksburg is a great story - Pemberton's men were some serious bad asses. I mean, they ended up losing the city but they held out for an impressively long time. The movie and museum were great, the battlefield tour not so much. It was endless and boring.
the park system should develop a 'virtual environment' for these battlefields
you use your smart phone see 50,000 charging across the open fields in an attack
Or have an immersive environment where you can "be" part of the action. That's how people learn and appreciate - by being a part of it and having it come to life. Not by driving around endlessly looking at plaques and busts of people they've never heard of.
Or have an immersive environment where you can "be" part of the action. T.
There are numerous immersion and re-enactment programs/groups and programs but I don't they appeal to the younger folks so much.
And like so many other Civil War battles, provided a new dimension to warfare worldwide. Grant's siege was a lot of "try it an see" but a lot of world watched in awe at the magnitude of that battle and many others. Carnage like that had not yet appeared on the world stage. The War of Northern Aggression
set the bar really high...
That's because they're not fun. Putting on a costume and pretending to grind corn at St. Mary's City is fun for about 3 seconds. But some kid will play a game where grinding corn is a task in a larger goal for hours. Doing a battle reenactment where you run around pretending to shoot someone gets old fast, and watching it is even worse, but kids will play Call of Duty until their Mom pries them from the computer.
Merge learning with fun and you have a winner. Unfortunately adults don't appear to know what's fun for today's kids.
frequentflier
happy to be living
Most kids today don't know what "fun" is...
This is why I've agitated and worked so long for live-fire re-enactments using prisoners with life or death sentences. The crowd appeal would be mind boggling.
ginwoman
Well-Known Member
That is sickening. The battle grounds building should be off limits.
WingsOfGold
Well-Known Member
I live in central Pa. I frequent Gettysburg several times a year. Devils Den is my favorite spot.
littlelady
God bless the USA
I wish it could all be reinacted. Lincoln tried to fix it, and then he was assassinated. Why do people ignore the fact that Northerners//Democrats were slave owners, too, started the KKK, and went South as carpetbaggers to take advantage of the suffering there. I know the answer, but want to know what you think.
I have been to Civil War battlegrounds many times, and it made my heart hurt. Robert E. Lee was probably one of the most conflicted Americans in history, but he went with his heart.
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BOP
Well-Known Member
Give the Progs enough time, and they'll take care of that as well..... if they haven't already.
Where was this at? This sounds like my kind of day.
Gettysburg.
Smokey1
Well-Known Member
I am waiting for them to start clamoring for the removal of Confederate monuments from battlefields next. At first they claimed they only wanted them removed from public squares and then proceeded to go after them in cemeteries. In fact they already want to have one removed of Lee in Antietam.
https://www.heraldmailmedia.com/ins...cle_c7e6433c-62e3-11e9-b6c6-239ca25e83e1.html
The War Against Battle Re-Enactments Is a Blow to History and Tradition
The problem today is the dwindling number of people willing to throw themselves into the re-enactor life. It’s more than just a hobby for many of these men and women. They camp out for days on the battlefield and pride themselves on the authenticity of their dress and kit. They actually live like people 160 years ago lived. They use the same cookware, eat the same food, use the same weapons, and try to be as authentic as possible. There’s an entire industry that caters to re-enactors who manufacture and restore authentic supplies.
As you might expect, the number of re-enactors is dwindling. The 10,000 re-enactors I saw in Gettysburg in 1983 have dwindled to about 1,500 today. Kirk Davis, president of the Gettysburg Battlefield Preservation Association, says “It’s now moving more to a living history process.”
And the ever-more restrictive gun laws in states like New York are punishing re-enactors for no reason. The New York law, for instance, has shut down the annual Angelica Civil War Re-enactment, and participants could be arrested for showing up with their black powder guns.
“Black powder weapons are not excepted from this ban,” the group stated. “After obtaining a legal opinion, it was determined that we could not continue with holding the event this year. Participants could be subject to arrest. So the event is canceled this year. If the law is modified or overturned we hope to return in the future.”
The law also has “prohibitions against possession of many types of firearms in ‘sensitive locations’ which include streets, sidewalks, parks and most public locations.”
SamSpade
Well-Known Member
Continued support, maintenance and knowledge of our battlefields - that I can get behind.
Re-enactments - meh. Especially when we're talking thousands.
Every year on the Lexington Common, and in Concord, a re-enactment of the battles are done.
But they are very brief, and if you've watched them, more ceremonial than anything else.
It's more about honoring the past and the men who fought.
I don't get the same sense when it's thousands trying to re-enact a massive battle. Most of the ones I've read about around the world are a sight smaller than the real battle.
Maybe it's just I don't have a tradition among associates, but I can't get worked up over it. And I used to be SCA back in college.
Re-enactments - meh. Especially when we're talking thousands.
Every year on the Lexington Common, and in Concord, a re-enactment of the battles are done.
But they are very brief, and if you've watched them, more ceremonial than anything else.
It's more about honoring the past and the men who fought.
I don't get the same sense when it's thousands trying to re-enact a massive battle. Most of the ones I've read about around the world are a sight smaller than the real battle.
Maybe it's just I don't have a tradition among associates, but I can't get worked up over it. And I used to be SCA back in college.
PeoplesElbow
Well-Known Member
Unfortunately everything that doesnt involve a smart phone has waned interest with the younger generations. Almost all do it with your hands hobbies are dying out. Hell I remember reading that Gen Z isnt interested in sex as much as previous generations, wtf.