Gettysburg National Military Park
| Gettysburg National Military Park | |||
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| Location: | Pennsylvania , United States | ||
| Surface: | 16.05 km² | ||
| Founding: | 1863 | ||
| Visitors: | 1.2 million / year | ||
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The Gettysburg National Military Park is located in Gettysburg in Pennsylvania . The park's mission is to preserve the historic landscape of the battlefield of the Battle of Gettysburg in 1863 during the American Civil War , in which around 33,000 people were killed or wounded on both sides. Over 43,000 artifacts are located in the National Park Museum and Visitor Center of the National Park. Today the park has more wooded areas than it did in 1863 and more roads for tourists. Efforts are under way to restore the park to a state similar to that of the civil war.
history
Historical significance of Gettysburg Park
The civil war was the result of years of division in the nation on religious, economic, political and social issues. Most of the soldiers were veterans, and their backgrounds for participating in the war were very different (e.g. personal convictions, patriotism, ...). Many outside civilians were affected by the battle, for example helping the wounded and burying the dead. Landscaped areas were transformed into battlefields. In the Gettysburg Address , President Abraham Lincoln drew attention to the losses and horrors of war and appealed to the newfound freedom that is anchored in American memories to this day. The mass graves in the National Military Park are a reminder of people's individual experiences with the war. The monuments created a bridge between citizens and the battlefields of American history.
History of the park
Before the park became a state facility, it was cared for first by resident citizens and then by the state of Pennsylvania . Thirty years later, there was a desire for reconciliation between the Northern and Southern states after the American Civil War . In 1895, Congress made Gettysburg Park the third largest military park in America . The aim of the park was to preserve and protect the monuments, as well as the vegetation and the fauna. The park also provided an opportunity for historical research. In 1933 the National Park Service (NPS) took over management of the park. In 1990, Congress made some rules for the park. The aim was to point out the consequences of the civil war and to place the war in a larger historical context. In 1896 the Secretary of War took over the management of the park.
investment
National Park Museum and Visitor Center
The museum and visitor center were founded in 2008 as a collaboration between the National Park Service and the Gettysburg Foundation. On 2044 m 2 (22,000 sq ft ), relics of the Battle of Gettysburg and the Civil War are presented in exhibitions and the people who acted at the time are brought closer to the visitors. The visit to the Gettysburg National Military Park begins at the visitor center. Here you will find information with the best tips for a successful trip in and around Gettysburg. You can also watch the film A New Birth of Freedom , which tells the story of the battle, told by Oscar winner Morgan Freeman in the visitor center . The cost of the project amounted to 135 million US dollars .
George Rosensteel Collection
In Gettysburg Park is the George Rosensteel Collection, which is one of the largest collections of relics from the Civil War. The collection was bequeathed to the Rosensteel family and includes a variety of weapons, uniforms and battle remains.
Cyclorama
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The Cyclorama Painting , one of the exhibited paintings that the French artist Paul Philippoteaux worked on with several assistants for over a year in the late 1880s, shows the Battle of Gettysburg . Philippoteaux spent several months on the battlefield to prepare for his circular painting , which has a circumference of around 115 meters and is almost 13 meters high.
David Wills House
The David Wills House is the building where Abraham Lincoln completed his famous Gettysburg Address . Lawyer David Wills was the owner of the house and the organizer of the inauguration of the military cemetery, which took place on November 19, 1863. For the 200th birthday of Abraham Lincoln, David Wills House opened to the public on February 12, 2009. At the museum, visitors can visit the premises where Lincoln prepared for the speech.
Military cemetery
Soldiers' National Cemetery was originally laid out by locals in the location where President Abraham Lincoln delivered his speech on November 19, 1863. On March 25, 1864, it was adopted by the Pennsylvania General Assembly. The graveyard, which is open year-round and whose tombs are sorted by US state, serves as the final resting place for soldiers who died in the Battle of Gettysburg. Today it is under the direction of the National Park Service.
Monuments
Both the design and the location of the roughly 90 memorials that were built in memory of the fallen soldiers had to be approved by the Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial Association (GBMA). The two oldest sculptures - the Soldiers 'Cemetery Monument and the 20th Maine Infantry Monument - are located in the Soldiers' National Cemetery and differ greatly not only in size and shape, but also in meaning. The memorials were built at the request of various groups of war veterans, but they were financed by the government of the state of Pennsylvania . The most significant statues include the High Water Mark of the Rebellion Monument and the Eternal Light Peace Memorial, which symbolize the reunification of the country after the war. At the last great commemoration in 1938, which was attended by more than 250,000 people, then President Franklin D. Roosevelt said: “All of them we honor, not asking under which Flag they fought then - thankful that they stand together under one Flag now. ”
Activities and events
Living history
The Living History program takes place every weekend from April to October, where history comes back to life. Reenactment groups camp there in period uniforms and demonstrate weapons and tactics used by the fighting armies during the Civil War.
Ranger program
The ranger program offers a variety of free ranger-led tours of the battlefield. The McMillan Woods Youth Campground is open April through October and has a campsite with supervision and activities. For the visitors of the area riding is offered on various paths.
Dedication Day
November 19th marks the anniversary of the inauguration of the Gettysburg War Cemetery, where Abraham Lincoln gave his famous speech. The cemetery is now world famous. That is why numerous events take place on this day, Dedication Day. The highlight is a military parade in period uniforms, which has been held on the Saturday before the anniversary since 1946. On November 18, 2017, the day before the 154th anniversary of Lincoln's speech, the parade was overshadowed by bomb threats and held under increased police protection. The reason for taking the threats seriously was the dispute over the removal of statues of the Confederate Generals of the Civil War, which culminated in a demonstration in Charlottesville in August 2017.
literature
- Jennifer M. Murray: On a great battlefield: the making, management, and memory of Gettysburg National Military Park, 1933-2013 The University of Tennessee Press, Knoxville 2014, ISBN 9781621900818 .
- David J. Petruzzi, Steven Stanley: The complete Gettysburg guide: walking and driving tours of the battlefield, town, cemeteries, field hospital sites and other topics of historical interest Savas Beatie, El Dorado Hills, Calif. / Casemate, Newbury 2009, ISBN 1-61121-044-5 .
- Christian J. Spielvogel: Interpreting Sacred Ground: The Rhetoric of National Civil War Parks and Battlefields Tuscaloosa, AL: U of Alabama P 2013, ISBN 9780817386313 .
Web links
- Gettysburg National Military Park on the site of the National Park Service (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Tourism. Gettysburg Adams Chamber of Commerce, accessed November 16, 2017 .
- ↑ nps.gov A New Birth of Freedom , accessed November 18, 2017.
- ↑ United States. National Park Service: Gettysburg National Military Park, General Management Plan: Environmental Impact Statement. Northwestern University, 1999.
- ↑ United States National Park Service: Gettysburg National Military Park. General Management Plan. August 1998, accessed November 18, 2017.
- ↑ a b Mailing Address: 1195 Baltimore Pike Gettysburg, PA 17325 Phone: 334-1124 Contact Us: Park News - Gettysburg National Military Park (US National Park Service). Retrieved December 14, 2018 .
- ↑ Visitor Centers . Retrieved November 18, 2017.
- ↑ nps.gov Visitor Center , accessed November 18, 2017.
- ↑ nps.gov National Military Park Collection , accessed November 18, 2017.
- ↑ nps.gov Cyclorama Painting , accessed November 18, 2017.
- ↑ a b David Wills House National Park Service website. Retrieved November 18, 2017.
- ^ Wills House Abraham Lincoln Online. Retrieved November 18, 2017.
- ↑ Draft General Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement: Gettysburg National Military Park, Pennsylvania. August 1998
- ↑ Basic Information , accessed November 18, 2017.
- ↑ An Introduction to the Monumentation of Gettysburg . Retrieved November 18, 2017.
- ^ Living History Programs , accessed November 18, 2017.
- ^ Ranger Programs at Gettysburg , accessed November 18, 2017.
- ^ McMillan Woods Youth Campground , accessed November 18, 2017.
- ↑ Horseback Riding Trails , accessed November 18, 2017.
- ^ Dedication Day Events , accessed November 18, 2017.
- ↑ Claire Barrett: Despite Threat, Gettysburg Remembrance Day Parade to Proceed as Planned. Civil War Times Magazine November 15, 2017, accessed November 20, 2017
- ↑ Grace GRIFFATON: Annual Remembrance Day Parade takes place despite threat in Gettysburg . Fox 43 on November 18, 2017. Retrieved November 20, 2017