Why Protect Battlefields?

The American Civil War of 1861-1865 changed many things about the United States. In all, more than 10,000 battles and skirmishes were fought across the country from Virginia to Colorado, from Florida to Minnesota during the Civil War. A 1993 Congressional Study determined that 384 of these battles were highly significant influences on the course of our nation’s history. More than 70 of these battlefields have already been lost forever and fewer than 15% have been protected. In between, lie vulnerable sites, places where American soldiers gave their lives fighting for their visions of freedom, places that are now threatened by bulldozers and backhoes. Those soldiers who sacrificed their lives, those American veterans, deserve our recognition and thanks. The battlegrounds they fought over and died on should be protected for all of us to appreciate and lay honor to their struggles. How can we, in good conscience, pave this land into oblivion?

Why protect Civil War battlefields? Because they define us as a nation. Battlefields are nonrenewable resources. A shopping mall or townhouse development can be built practically anywhere. A historic battlefield cannot. Battlefields are resources that require no costly infrastructure and, unlike many corporations, once preserved they become permanent resources. They can be valuable to the communities where they are located in many ways. Not only do they provide a roots-tangible link to the community’s past, but they provide an opportunity to attract visitors. Battlefields also increase the quality of life for a community, especially important in this age of urban sprawl.

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