Virginia Sesquicentennial of the American Civil War Commission

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Virginia Sesquicentennial of theAmerican Civil
War Commission

• William J. Howell, Chairman
• Speaker of the House of Delegates
• Charles J. Colgan, Vice-Chairman
• President pro tempore, Senate of Virginia
• Cheryl Jackson, Executive Director

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Virginia Sesquicentennial of theAmerican Civil
War Commission

• Sesquicentennial Commission established by HB
  1440 (2006)
• Commission membership
• Speaker William J. Howell, Chair
• Sen. Charles J. Colgan, Sr., Vice Chair Sen. R.
  Creigh Deeds
• Del. Albert C. Eisenberg Sen. John S. Edwards
• Del. Algie T. Howell, Jr. Sen. Janet D.
  Howell
• Del. Johnny S. Joannou Sen. Mamie E. Locke
• Del. R. Steven Landes John P. Ackerly, III
• Del. L. Scott Lingamfelter Dr. Paul A.
  Levengood
• Del. Thomas C. Wright, Jr. Dr. James I.
  Robertson, Jr.

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Virginia Sesquicentennial Of The American Civil
War CommissionOrganizational Chart
Sesquicentennial Commission Chair Speaker
William J. Howell Vice-Chair Sen. Charles J.
Colgan, Sr.
Executive Committee Chair Speaker
Howell Vice-Chair Sen. Colgan
Staff Division of Legislative Services House
Clerks Office Senate Finance Committee House
Appropriations Committee
Workgroup 1 Coordination Chair Sen. Colgan
Workgroup 2 Signature Events Chair Speaker
Howell
Workgroup 3 Education Chair Del. Algie
Howell, Jr.
Advisory Council Liaison Dr. Sandy Treadway
Local Sesquicentennial Committees
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Virginia Sesquicentennial of theAmerican Civil
War Commission

• Vision statement
• Understanding Our Past, Embracing Our Future
• Goals for the commemoration
• Diversity The commemoration will be inclusive
  of, and meaningful to, all Virginians,
  particularly
• Diverse racial and ethnic groups
• Immigrants and citizens who do not have a
  hereditary link to the American Civil War and
• Young people who do not understand the relevance
  of the American Civil War to today's population
• Inclusiveness The commemoration will seek to
  portray a fair and balanced story of Virginia's
  participation in the American Civil War that
  includes the African-American, Union and
  Confederate perspectives.
• Statewide Accessibility The commemoration will
  be statewide, involving all localities and
  encompassing all Civil War-related institutions,
  museums, battlefields, parks and facilities in
  the Commonwealth.
• Education The commemoration period have a
  strong education component, which will be
  intended to ignite a renewed interest in
  Virginia's historical heritage.

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Annual Conferences and Themes2009 - 2015

• 2009
• Conference America on the Eve of the Civil
  War
• Military History Military Technology in the
  Nineteenth Century
• Cultural History Life in Virginias Counties,
  Cities and Towns
• 2010
• Conference Race, Slavery and the Civil War
• Military History The Union Responds to Growing
  Sectional Tensions
• Cultural History Slavery and Freedmen in
  Virginia
• 2011
• Conference American Military Strategy and
  the Civil War
• Military History Mobilizing for War The
  Opening Moves in the Virginia Theater
• Cultural History The Road to Secession
• 2012
• Conference Leadership and Generalship in
  the Civil War
• Military History The Valley Campaign and the
  Rise of the Army of Northern Virginia
• Cultural History Agriculture, Manufacturing and
  Commerce in Virginia

• 2013
• Conference The Home Front in the Civil War
  
• Military History The Confederates
  Counter-Attack, and the Union Turns the
  Tide
• Cultural History Communications, Letters and
  News on the Home Front
• 2014
• Conference Civil War in a Global Context
• Military History On to Richmond The Burden on
  the Soldiers in the Field
• Cultural History The Strain of War on the
  Families and Communities
• 2015
• Conference The Memory of the Civil War
• Military History The Fall of Richmond, Lees
  Retreat, and Surrender
• Cultural History Reunion and Rebuilding on the
  Home Front

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• Centennial Center
• October 1961 November 1965 630,000 visitors

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Virginia Sesquicentennial of theAmerican Civil
War Commission

• Signature Conference Series
• 2009 America on the Eve of the Civil War
• University of Richmond April 29, 2009
• 2010 Race, Slavery and the Civil War The
  Tough Stuff of American History
• Norfolk State University September 24,
  2010
• 2011 American Military Strategy and the Civil
  War
• Virginia Tech May 21, 2011
• 2012 Leadership and Generalship in the Civil
  War
• Virginia Military Institute
• 2013 The Home Front in the Civil War
• College of William and Mary
• 2014 Civil War in a Global Context

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Signature Conference series

• Conference proceedings available on DVD
• Publication (UVA Press) Autumn 2010

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Virginia Sesquicentennial of theAmerican Civil
War Commission

• Plans in Development
• Major Exhibition An American Turning Point The
  Civil War in Virginia
• 1. Gallery Exhibition Two parts (Battlefront and
  Home front - 3,000 sq. ft.)
• Major statewide traveling exhibition rich in
  artifacts, documents, and high-tech components
• Opens in Richmond (Virginia Historical Society)
  in February 2011
• Beginning in 2012, will travel to Roanoke,
  Abingdon, Lynchburg, Winchester, Manassas,
  Hampton and Appomattox
• 2. Panel exhibition Travel to museums,
  libraries, schools and smaller venues
• 3. Mobile exhibition Civil War 150 HistoryMobile
• Ability to travel nationwide and reach millions
• Interactive components, maps
• Soldier in Virginia database

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Draft Rendering of Civil War 150 HistoryMobile
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Virginia Sesquicentennial of theAmerican Civil
War Commission

• Plans in Development
• Educational Film Produced by Blue Ridge Public
  Television and the Virginia Tech Center for Civil
  War Studies
• Distributed free of charge to schools, major
  libraries and local sesquicentennial committees
  beginning Autumn 2009
• Divided into nine 20-minute segments designed for
  use by teachers in the classroom
• Supporting teacher materials will be developed
  with DOE
• Segments will focus on the background of the war,
  military campaigns, the African-American
  experience, leading Virginia personalities, the
  common soldiers, homefront activities (including
  women and medical care) and legacies of the war
  for all Americans.

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Virginia Sesquicentennial of theAmerican Civil
War Commission

• Plans in Development
• Digitization project Partner with the Library of
  Virginia for a major initiative to identify,
  collect, catalog, and preserve Civil War
  documents currently held in private collections
  through digital scanning. Successful pilot
  programs have been held in Danville and
  Winchester more to be scheduled.
• Interactive battlefield tours Partner with NPS
  and state battlefield sites throughout the state
  to develop interactive Vodcast battlefield
  tours for widespread access through the Internet.
• Strategic Marketing Plan Work with the Virginia
  Tourism Corporation to develop and implement an
  8-year marketing plan for the statewide
  commemoration.

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Virginia Sesquicentennial of theAmerican Civil
War Commission

• Special Events
• Kickoff event Harpers Ferry June 25, 2009
• 150th anniversary of John Browns Raid
• Partnering with West Virginia for inaugural event
• Purpose Bring national attention to the
  sesquicentennial media presence
• Panel discussions with historians, tours
• Significant milestone events
• 2011 First Battle of Manassas
• 2012 Battle of the Ironclads (Hampton Roads)
• Jacksons Valley Campaign (Shenandoah Valley)
• Seven Days Battles (Richmond)
• 2013 Emancipation Proclamation
• Chancellorsville (Fredericksburg/Stafford)
• 2014 Overland Campaign (Spotsylvania)
• Siege of Petersburg
• 2015 Culmination (Appomattox)

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Virginia Sesquicentennial of theAmerican Civil
War Commission

• Sesquicentennial - Plans in Development
• Coordination The Commission will lead the
  linkage, coordination, unification, and support
  of museums and historical sites statewide.
• Promote Civil War destinations through
• Interactive website
• Computer kiosks
• Comprehensive marketing plan
• Goal Making travel easy for visitors
• Local sesquicentennial committees
• Liaison between the state Commission and the
  locality
• Plan events to highlight Civil War history and
  experience in the community
• Submit information to Commission for online maps,
  calendars, etc.

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Virginia Sesquicentennial of theAmerican Civil
War Commission

• Local Sesquicentennial Committees
• To every extent possible, the local
  sesquicentennial committee should include
  representatives of
• Office of the chief administrative official
• Governing body (i.e., City Council or Board of
  Supervisors)
• Tourism industry organizations
• Convention and Visitors' Bureau or visitors'
  services office
• Chamber of Commerce or economic development
  office
• Education community (e.g., Superintendent,
  teachers, PTA representatives, etc.)
• Battlefields and National Park Service personnel
• Civil War Trails local coordinator
• Civil War museums and facilities
• Historical society
• Public and private nonprofit organizations
  engaged in commemorating historical events

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Virginia Sesquicentennial of theAmerican Civil
War Commission

• Local Sesquicentennial Committees Suggested
  activities
• Inventory Civil War sites for Then/Now
  interactive map provide narrative history of the
  localitys Civil War involvement for website
• Plan events and activities that highlight the
  localitys Civil War history and that have
  importance and meaning to its citizens (include
  multiple perspectives). Work together regionally
  whenever possible.
• Promote and support the Commissions signature
  events, such as the Signature Conference series,
  document digitization project, and HistoryMobile
  visits
• Record Podcast tours of battlefields
• Join or expand participation in Civil War Trails
  program to increase access to uninterpreted sites
• Understand that the opportunities provided by
  the sesquicentennial also create an obligation to
  present complete, unbiased history.

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Virginia Sesquicentennial of theAmerican Civil
War Commission

• Local Sesquicentennial Committees The
  Commissions Role
• Serve as the umbrella under which all activities
  and events fall - - coordinating and marketing
  the state, with the goal of making travel easy
  for visitors.
• Develop and implement a strategic statewide
  marketing campaign through the Virginia Tourism
  Corporation.
• Publicize activities through a statewide master
  calendar of events
• Administer a competitive micro-grant program
  coordinated by VTC to provide financial support
  to local committees for marketing of
  sesquicentennial events and activities.
• Provide technical assistance by aiding searches
  for grants, in-kind resources, etc.
• Work with the local committee to schedule a
  HistoryMobile visit and schedule participation in
  the Document Digitization project.
• Keep local committees informed of and involved in
  the Commission's activities. Hold periodic
  "Civil War 150 Local Committee Roundtable"
  meetings

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Virginia Sesquicentennial of theAmerican Civil
War Commission

• Use of the Commissions Logo
• Memorandum of Understanding Three types
• 1. UA Committees acting under the authority of
  a local government
• (i.e., BOS/Council resolution or endorsement)
• All requests go through local committee for
  endorsement
• Local committee can assign the logo to third
  parties and will monitor usage in the locality
• 2. NUA Committees not acting under the
  authority of a local government
• Local committee may use the logo, but not assign
  its usage to third parties
• Applications subject to longer review process at
  state level
• 3. Private entity
• Violations subject to 5,000 penalty
• An application for use of logo must be filed and
  approved before each instance of usage

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Virginia Sesquicentennial of theAmerican Civil
War CommissionStaff Contact Information

• Cheryl Jackson
• Executive Director
• Michele Howell
• Grants Administrator and Project Manager
• Tricia Hagan
• Executive Assistant
• Virginia Sesquicentennial of the American Civil
  War Commission
• Division of Legislative Services
• 910 Capitol Street, GAB, 2nd floor
• Richmond, Virginia 23219
• Phone [phone]
• Email info_at_virginiacivilwar.org
• donate_at_virginiacivilwar.org
• Website www.VirginiaCivilWar.org