Online Exhibits


How we remember the Civil War has shaped the United States. Frequent eruptions of cultural politics regarding the War hint at deep divisions. Nowhere has this been more apparent than with The Lost Cause.
It set expectations for the present and future of the former Confederacy. It went hand-in-hand with the white Southern worldview that revered the past, deferred to elite rule, enforced conservative social values, exalted rural life, and oppressed Black people.
Site is in beta-testing, check back for updates!

The origins of Richmond’s most contested and beloved boulevard. This exhibit is a partnership between the American Civil War Museum, the Library of Virginia, The Valentine , and the Virginia Museum of History and Culture.

An exploration of voting rights in the Civil War era and how the 15th Amendment changed everything, but did little.

A short history of how the Confederate battle flag acquired its many meanings: pride of the Confederate fighting man and symbol of his memory, emblem of white supremacy and racial terror, an icon of regional identity, and a vessel for culture war politics today.

Learn about the individual lives and stories of the domestic staff at the Confederate President’s House.

As a mirror in which Richmond views itself, and by which it has encouraged outsiders to view it, Monument Avenue has reflected a variety of meanings and evolving values in a changing city.