This past March while I was away with a group of students participating in a Civil War travel course, things got hectic. While we were busily traveling through Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama and back to Tennessee the world was hit with a pandemic. One that has changed the way the world functions, including historians!

(This post was originally started back in December) 

Historians, museums and other public history locations have had to rethink how they approach history with an audience that is no longer feeling safe to travel to visit battlefields, museums or attend lectures. One aspect that historians in general both academic and public, utilized has been the “Zoom” or “Facebook Live” format. In this way, they have been able to conduct lectures, virtual tours, and just have conversations with authors about newly published books. One such Historian that appears to have made an impact and encouraged others to start utilizing Zoom or Facebook live is The Tattooed Historian. Yes, I know his real name but to make it easier for others to locate his page on Facebook it makes more sense to use his page name. For weeks, John and Dr. Peter Carmichael welcomed scholars across the broad spectrum that is Civil War history to discuss their recently published books. These books ranged in topics from Prisoners of War to the United States Colored Troops. Each new “conversation” also gave viewers the opportunity to ask questions in addition to purchasing the book being discussed at a discounted price from the publisher.

They were not alone, as the National Parks across the country jumped in on the opportunity to develop an online presence that enabled individuals to learn more about the parks, hear stories of survival from the park rangers of men who fought on some of the battlefields, hear stories of heartbreak and yes even intrigue.

This year saw so many historical sites closed down for an indefinite period that it was necessary to create online opportunities such as these. Historical sites are finally opening up, though for the foreseeable future it looks like there will be COVID restrictions in place. Many of these sites have struggled to stay afloat as they survive on donations and admission fees to some of these locations, while others are fortunate to be apart of the National Parks System. Here is hoping that families, students and scholars start getting back out to these sites and exploring history to better understand where this nation comes from while supporting a truly worthwhile cause. I know I personally will be getting out and hitting the Civil War Trails as I further explore the movements of a unit from New York. Hope to see you out there!