State Programs

Not only was Virginia the central focus of the Civil War in the 1860's, but it is still at the center, in terms of what visitors can see and experience today.

Virginia led the nation by being the first state to create a Sesquicentennial Commission and formally begin planning for the commemoration. The General Assembly of Virginia created the Virginia Sesquicentennial of the American Civil War Commission in 2006 to prepare for and commemorate the sesquicentennial of Virginia's participation in the American Civil War.

Highlights of the programs being offered by the state commission include:

Civil War 150 History Mobile
The Civil War 150 HistoryMobile is an interactive “museum on wheels” housed in a 53’ expandable tractor-trailer. The HistoryMobile will visit museums, parks, fairs, schools, and other sites throughout the Commonwealth and beyond. More information.

Exhibit: “An American Turning Point: The Civil War in Virginia”
From 1861–1865, Virginia stood at the center of a military and social revolution. Using original objects, interactive technology, and state-of-the-art audiovisual programs, this 3,000 square-foot exhibition encourages visitors to consider the war and how its effects can influence and address the questions of today. The exhibition opened at the Virginia Historical Society in February 2011, and will travel to seven other Virginia museums from January 2012 through August 2015. Among the sites hosting the exhibit is the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley in Winchester, which will host the “Surviving War” portion of the exhibit from February 11 – June 10, 2012, and the “Waging War” portion from August 4 – December 2, 2012. More information.

Civil War 150 Statewide Calendar of Events
The Virginia Civil War 150 Statewide Calendar of Events lists hundreds of programs related to the Civil War and Emancipation that are occurring throughout Virginia. Events are submitted by localities and compiled by the Virginia Sesquicentennial of the American Civil War Commission. The Calendar of Events is also now available on your phone and other mobile devices. Download the free Virginia Civil War 150 Calendar of Events for the iPhone here. More information.

Civil War 150 Legacy Project
The Commission and the Library of Virginia are partnering to identify and locate original, privately-held manuscript material that is in Virginia and relates to the Civil War. These materials may include letters, photographs, diaries, maps, and other Civil War-era materials. More information.

Walk in the Their Footsteps
Whether they fought on the fields of battle, endured the hardships of the home front, or struggled for emancipation behind the lines, our Virginia ancestors shared a common history. Trace Civil War and Emancipation history across Virginia, and Walk in their Footsteps. More information.

Signature Conferences
These annual conferences, hosted at major universities across the state, focus on the war from a variety of perspectives. Previous conferences included “American on the Eve of the Civil War,” held at the University of Richmond (2009); “Race, Slavery and the Civil War: The Tough Stuff of American History and Memory at Norfolk State University (2010); and "Military Strategy in the American Civil War" at Virginia Tech University (2011). This year's conference, “Leadership and Generalship in the Civil War” will be held at Virginia Military Institute in Lexington on March 22, 2012. More information.

Educational DVD: “Virginia in the Civil War: A Sesquicentennial Remembrance”
The Center for Civil War Studies at Virginia Tech, in partnership with the Virginia Sesquicentennial of the American Civil War Commission and Blue Ridge PBS, created a unique educational resource specifically for the sesquicentennial: a DVD for teachers to use in the classroom as a supplemental instructional tool in the teaching of Civil War history. The three-hour two-DVD set is divided into nine 20-minute segments that examine the Civil War from multiple perspectives: the background of the war, military campaigns, the African-American experience, leading Virginia personalities, the common soldiers, home front activities and legacies of the war for all Americans. More information.

Then and Now Map
This mapping tool enables you to search for Civil War sites and Sesquicentennial events across the state. More information.