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What is an artifact, and what can it tell us about the people who used it? This program invites students to investigate artifacts relating to diverse people who lived during the Civil War and to explore their lives through their possessions. Discover a variety of true stories from the Civil War from a different point of view. 

Why did more soldiers die in hospitals than in battle? How does modern medical technology compare to that of the Civil War? Despite the terrible challenges facing field surgeons and nurses, there were impressive advancements in military medicine during the War. Delve into some of these advancements as well as the reasons behind the striking death toll.

How did geography impact the Civil War? Where were major battles, what were their outcomes, and why were there more battles in some locations than others? How did the location of major cities influence military strategy? Explore the geographic features, including rivers, mountains, regions, cities, and battle sites and how they can help us answer questions about the War. Program can focus on either United States or Virginia geography.

What was the daily life of Civil War soldiers like? Was living in camp any safer than fighting on the battlefield? Soldiers spent the majority of their time not fighting in battles but living in camp or making long treks across the South. Many men were away from home for the first time, adjusting to life with little food and lots of company. Join us to discuss and experience some of what filled a soldier’s day, from recruitment to drill practice. 

What does it mean to be free? What do you sacrifice in the pursuit of freedom? While famous African Americans like Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman led the movement to end slavery, countless others seized freedom for themselves during the Civil War. Encounter the stories of African American people – both enslaved and free – who embarked on a journey to freedom or worked in other ways to end slavery during an incredibly dangerous time in American history.

What did the Reconstruction Era following the Civil War look like? Did Reconstruction fail or was it abandoned? In the immediate aftermath of the War, the country grappled with defining the rights of African Americans and reintegrating the states that had seceded. Explore the successes and legacies of this era, from its promising beginnings and constitutional amendments to its struggles on the ground and official end in 1877.

How did different people choose to remember the Civil War? How did they choose to mark the occasion? How did tensions in the aftermath of the War affect how people memorialized it? As early as 1865, people began asking themselves how to remember those who had sacrificed their lives during the War. Discover the different ways that memory of the War was shaped and how its implications continue to shape how we remember even today.

When confronted by the reality of war, what choices did people make? How did life change for all Americans in the aftermath? Join us Live on your virtual platform as we walk through the war in our new permanent exhibit, A People’s Contest: Struggles for Nation and Freedom in Civil War America and discover stories from diverse Americans struggling through the challenging war years told through colorized images and unique artifacts.

Journey Live on your virtual platform through the house that served as home to Confederate president Jefferson Davis during the Civil War, restored to what it looked like during Davis’s stay. Who else lived in, worked in, or visited the home during the War? What can their stories tell us about life at a time when Americans of all walks of life were experiencing immense heartache and suffering while maintaining hope for the future?

Explore the entire Civil War from a quarter-mile walk along the James River, from the iron works that cast cannon used to fire on Fort Sumter in April of 1861 to President Abraham Lincoln visiting Richmond in April of 1865. What were women, children, free and enslaved African American people doing during the War? What were conditions really like in prison camps? Encounter local stories of triumph and tragedy that exemplify life—and death—for many people during the War.

What is the significance of the Tredegar Iron Works in the Civil War? The Tredegar Iron Works was the most important industrial center of the Confederacy. In peacetime, it supplied the vast expansion of the railroad industry; in war, it produced the largest number of cannon in the Confederacy. Join us Live on your virtual platform as we explore the historic buildings at our Tredegar museum site, the vital role of the iron works, and the diverse people who worked there.

Explore the overlapping stories of the end of the War and the reunification of a nation using artifacts, photographs, and documents in the Museum’s permanent exhibit. How did the War impact peoples’ lives, both in its final days and after surrender?