Gettysburg will always be synonymous with the Civil War. It was
not only the site of the largest and most costly battle ever fought
in the Americas, but also the inspiration for one of most famous speeches
in this nation's history. Today the battlefield is dotted with thousands
of markers, monuments and historic tablets and is visited by nearly
2 million people each year.
On the morning of July 1, 1863, approximately 170,000 soldiers in blue and gray converged on Gettysburg. Three bloody days later, more than 50,000 of those men were casualties. The Confederacy's high tide, General Robert E. Lee's second invasion of the North, had been thwarted at a dreadful cost.
Threat: Although the park is the most visited Civil War battlefield in the U.S., the Gettysburg that millions of Americans have come to know and love is threatened by a plan to build a 3,000-slot gaming facility east of town at the intersection of Route 30 and Route 15.
Positioned merely one mile from East Cavalry Field, the effects of such a slots parlor would be immense and far reaching. The heritage tourism industry, which flourishes in the region, would suffer immensely as countless small businesses were undercut by the casino.
Although investors claim that their project would be a tasteful resort destination, the casino would degrade the sacrifice made by so many on that field. Opposition to the proposal is fierce; a public opinion poll commissioned by CWPT found that 65 percent of Pennsylvania voters oppose a casino at Gettysburg. With tactics ranging from a massive petition campaign to a bill in the state legislature, preservationists are taking a stand to protect Gettysburg.
CWSAC classified Gettysburg as a Priority I, Class A battlefield, its highest designation.
