The American Civil Museum in Richmond, Virginia
The American Civil Museum in Richmond, Virginia
Overview
The American civil museum in Richmond, Virginia is the first museum in US to review the civil war from the perspective of the union, confederates and the African Americans. The American civil war center was formerly known as the Tredegar national civil war center. The center currently sits on an 8acre piece of land on James River, Richmond. An individual with minimal knowledge of the civil war will benefit from a visit to this museum. The museum gives a rich history of the civil war, the cause of the war and the effects. The museum uses interactive measures such as films to illustrate various aspects of the infamous civil war (The American civil war center, 2012).
Other than the films the museum has exhibits from the civil war, artifacts and detailed timelines that explain the civil war. Visitors of the museum get informed on the American civil war from the entrance of the museum to the time they leave. Films, artifacts and exhibits are arranged in a chronological manner. It is, therefore, easy to follow the events of the civil war from the beginning, to the war years and later to the post war events. The museum also has a post war legacies section that is told from the perspective of the unionist, the confederates and the African Americans; perspective.
Evaluation of the Museum
The main purpose of the Civil war museum in Richmond is to retain the history and legacy of the American civil war. The American civil war occurred from 1861-1865 between the southern states and the northern state; the southern states comprised of slaves states and made up the confederacy. The salver states refers to states in the US where slavery was still practice. The confederate state upheld and practiced slavery. The remaining states made up the union. The union comprised of Free states. These were states that did not support slavery (Engle, 2001). The American civil war took close to four years in which the union won the battle. The loss of the confederacy meant that the states that made up the confederacy were now weakened and powerless. Unionist took control of leadership and governance and made decision such as abolishing slavery.
Significance of the Museum
The civil museum of Richmond tells the tale of the end of slavery from an African American perspective. The victory of the unionist in the American civil war signified an end to slavery in USA (The American civil war center, 2012). It marked the beginning of freedom for the African Americans. The slaves prior to abolishing of slavery in 1865 were the descendants to the African Americans in the country today. A review of the win of the unionist over the confederates marked the liberation of the black man. After the win, slavery was abolished. The 13th amendment of the constitution was also established with prohibited slavery by law. The 13th amendment abolishes slavery or any other form of involuntary service unless if an individual is serving a court verdict for crimes committed (Schwalm, 2011).
Richmond, Virginia played an active role in the American civil war. The confederates and the unionist considered Richmond to be a vital location. This was because Richmond was a rich source of ammunitions, weapons and man power. During the civil war Virginia was split in the middle. One part of the state, Richmond, broke from the unionist and joined the confederate states. The other part of Virginia, West Virginia, supported the unionist. Richmond was thus the capital of the confederate states during the American civil war. Richmond, Virginia was a strategic location that the confederates were determined to protect at all costs (Beard, 2011).
One reason for the determination to protect Richmond was the presence of the Tredegar iron works along James River. These industries provided the confederates with ammunitions during the civil war. Tredegar works also supplied the confederates with locomotives. The locomotives were essential for the supply of ammunitions, food as well as movement of confederate soldiers from one point to another. Richmond also had numerous small industries that boosted the main Tredegar industry. The small factories manufactured items such as tents for the soldiers, uniforms and swords and harnesses. These were war materials that the confederates heavily relied on.
Efforts by the unionist to gain control of Richmond were witnessed in the seven days battle. The union troops under the leadership of George McClellan arrived at Virginia peninsula with the intention of capturing Richmond. The confederates, were, unfortunately, well prepared and saw the unions move. They successfully engaged the union troops in a seven day battle that is remembered as one of the battles of the American civil war (Beard, 2011). The confederates were well organized with a defensive line of soldiers around Richmond. The union troops, sensing danger chose to retreat and never reached Richmond.
The retreat of the Union troops saw them regroup and reorganize themselves. In 1865, the union troops returned to capture Richmond. This time, they successful engaged in battle and seized control of Richmond. The president of the confederates as well as the soldiers had not alternative but to flee or surrender. As they flee, the confederate troops set ablaze Richmond in a strategy that is historically referred to as the Evacuation Fire of 1865 (Shea, 2010).
Richmond is a city that has a rich history of the American civil war. The American civil war redesigned the history of United States America. The conquest of Virginia by the union troops marked the beginning of the end of the American civil war. To date, Richmond has markers and monuments that signify their role in the American civil war. The strategic location of Richmond also made it the main point of receiving casualties from both the confederates and the union troops. Richmond thus holds the largest cemetery where many civil war soldiers and generals were buried.
Conclusion
Richmond is more just the location of the American civil war museum. It is home to geographical areas that hold the tales of many notables that participated in the American civil war. Virginia was a strategic location that both the Union and confederates desired to possess. A visit to the civil war museum reveals the causes of the war, the direction the war took and the consequences. The museum also looks at the civil war form the African American perspective. This is in relation to end of slavery after the union troops emerged victorious in the civil war. The museum also bring to light the crucial role that the city of Richmond played in ensuing that the confederate states remained powerful until the time of their defeat.
Reference
Beard, R. (2011). An American turning point: civil war in Virginia. Journal of American history. Vol. 98(3); 786-790
Engle, S. (2001). The American civil war. Osprey publishing
Schwalm, L. (2011). Surviving wartime emancipation: African Americans. The journal of law, medicine and ethics. Vol. 39(1); 21-27
Shea, W. (2010). The war we lost. Arkansas historical quarterly. Vol. 70(2); 100-108
The American civil war center, (2012). The story. Retrieved from http://www.tredegar.org/civil_war_tour_va.aspx
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