Civil War Road Trip

Chickamuagua by Tom Redman“I am following the river down the highway to the cradle of the Civil War.”

Tomorrow I fly to Nashville to help lead a group of history teachers on a 10-day Civil War road trip to Washington, D.C. The trip is funded by the Teaching American History program and organized by the Gilder Lehrman Center for the Study of Slavery, Resistance, and Abolition at Yale. It promises to be an exciting and educational experience for all involved. I was asked to help out as a historian/guide. My main responsibility is to talk with the teachers at the end of the day, help them to synthesize what they learned, and how it might apply to the classroom. Once in Virginia I will be more involved with leading some of the tours.

It’s going to be a hectic 10 days and it comes just as I need to finish putting my classes together for the coming school year, but I wouldn’t miss this for the world. There is nothing more rewarding than hanging out with and learning from a group of passionate teachers, who are crazy enough to give up their summer vacations for a chance to push their own intellectual boundaries. Here is the itinerary.

The Hermitage → Battle of Franklin (Carter House and Carnton Plantation) → Tennessee State Museum → Fort Negley → Stones River National Battlefield → Chickamauga Battlefield → Lookout Mountain Battlefield → Battles for Chattanooga Museum → Appomattox Court House → Sailor’s Creek Battlefield → Pamplin Historical Park → Petersburg National Battlefield (Eastern and Western Fronts) → Monument Avenue (Richmond) → American Civil War Center at Tredegar → Cold Harbor National Battlefield → Fredericksburg & Spostsylvania National Military Park → Antietam National Battlefield → National Museum of Civil War Medicine → Center for History and Media at George Mason University → Arlington National Cemetery

Yeah, I know. I am exhausted just thinking about it. I will do my best to get some blogging in during the trip. I will be tweeting with the hashtag #civwroadtrip.

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4 comments… add one
  • Rob Baker Aug 5, 2013 @ 11:31

    Kevin,

    The proper terminology for such an epic journey is “Civil Wargasm”

  • TF Smith Aug 4, 2013 @ 14:12

    Sounds like a lot of fun.

    Just don’t mess up Flounder’s brother’s car…

  • Anthony Aug 3, 2013 @ 3:42

    This sounds like the coolest trip ever and I am very jealous. Dressing my wounds by counting the days until I make my first visits to Gettysburg, Antietam, and Manassas II in October.

    • Kevin Levin Aug 3, 2013 @ 3:48

      Ask me that in a few days. 🙂 All kidding aside, it promises to be an amazing trip. Enjoy your upcoming trip to the Big 3.

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