The Civil War Trails Program founded by Civil War Trails, Inc. of
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. Incorporated in 1742, Richmond has been an independent city (United States), independent city since 1871. ...
, is a multi-state
heritage tourism
Heritage tourism is a branch of tourism centered around the exploration and appreciation of a region's cultural, historical and environmental heritage. This form of tourism includes both tangible elements, such as historically significant sites, ...
initiative designed to draw connections between and encourage visitation to Civil War sites.
Efforts to increase visitation and signage have stepped up in recent years in preparation of the
sesquicentennial of the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...
. This includes and increased focus on lesser known sites with the addition of directional "trailblazer signs" for more than 1000 previously uninterpreted Civil War sites in Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina and West Virginia.
Tennessee joined the program in 2008.
State participation
The North Carolina Civil War Trails Program chapter includes more than 700 sites. This chapter was dedicated on the
Bentonville Battlefield on March 14, 2005.
The main focus of the Trails program is a driving tour of the key places of the 1865 Carolinas Campaign, which culminated in the
Battle of Bentonville
The Battle of Bentonville (March 19–21, 1865) was fought in Johnston County, North Carolina, near the village of Bentonville, as part of the Western Theater of the American Civil War, Western Theater of the American Civil War. It was the last ...
. It also includes the
Burnside Expedition, Foster's Raid, among other key moments in the Carolinas' Civil War history.
From the launch of its chapter in 2008, Tennessee encouraged individual and community organizations to propose new sites for inclusion on the statewide map. In order to be eligible for inclusion, a proposed location must be as close as possible to where the Civil War event happened and must have existing parking for at least three cars and a bus.
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References
External links
*{{Official website, http://www.civilwartrails.org/
Cultural tourism
American Civil War sites
Auto trails in the United States