Few landscapes tell the story of the American Civil War as powerfully as Virginia. Civil War Virginia: The Road to Appomattox is a week-long traveling professional development seminar that takes teachers across the battlefields, historic sites, and landscapes where the course of the war—and the future of the nation—were decided.
Beginning in Northern Virginia, participants will explore Harpers Ferry and the Shenandoah Valley, examining John Brown’s raid, the strategic importance of the Valley, and campaigns at Winchester and Cedar Creek. At New Market, Brandy Station, and Ball’s Bluff, teachers will consider the evolution of Union and Confederate armies, the experiences of soldiers and civilians, and the changing character of the conflict.
The seminar then follows the war toward Richmond. Visits to Fair Oaks/Seven Pines, Gaines’ Mill, Malvern Hill, North Anna, and Cold Harbor trace the transformation of the war from George B. McClellan’s Peninsula Campaign to Ulysses S. Grant’s relentless Overland Campaign. In Richmond, participants will explore the political and social world of the Confederacy at the White House of the Confederacy and the American Civil War Museum at Tredegar, before examining the campaigns around Petersburg that ultimately forced the evacuation of the Confederate capital.
The journey concludes by following Robert E. Lee’s retreat westward through Sailor’s Creek to Appomattox Court House, where the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia brought the war in Virginia to its dramatic conclusion. Throughout the week, battlefield study, primary sources, and scholarly discussion will help teachers bring the complexities of the Civil War, and the landscapes where history unfolded, into their classrooms.
Speaker:
Arch Hunter, Public Historian and Retired Teacher
Teachers board a motorcoach for six days (Sunday – Friday) of visits to historic sites (such as national parks, state parks, and private sites) connected to a specific era of American history. Each travel seminar is escorted by a public historian whose lectures provide context for the historic sites to be visited. Local docents and guides provide breadth and depth in the historic stories they share. Local museums with subject appropriate materials are also included, many offering classroom resources for participating teachers.
Founding Forward’s work and mission is made possible through voluntary contributions. We need your support to ensure a future rooted in liberty. Please join our efforts to uphold our democratic system of government with your tax-deductible contribution.
