LOSING GROUND?

at symposiums, on battlefield tours, and in conversations with readers, I have heard a similar worried refrain: “Is interest in the Civil War dying?” It is understandable for people to feel this way. The ranks of reenactors are noticeably thinning, and monument controversies bring distaste to the study of the conflict and encourage fools eager to deface memorials to both North and South. Recent articles from numerous sources have examined these phenomena, and a May 25, 2019, article, “Civil War Battlefields Lose Ground as Tourist Draws,” seemed to put a capstone on those fears when it discussed the decline of Civil War interest. ¶ But the reality is more complicated. Yes, some aspects of Civil War culture appear to be on the wane, but others are thriving. I’ve experienced that surge of interest both factually and anecdotally. Sales of were up from 2017 to 2018 and I had trouble finding a parking spot at the Gettysburg Museum and Visitor Center on a cold Wednesday afternoon in March. ¶ In conversations with the owners of relic shops, I’ve learned that sales have been brisk and are increasing, book sales remain strong, and conferences keep selling out. This past August, seminars held by two organizations, Emerging Civil War and the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation, sold out on the same Saturday in Virginia. The American Civil War Museum, newly imagined and interpreted, celebrated its grand opening in Richmond in May. The number of visitors has exceeded the museum’s expectations. ¶ So what are we to believe? To get a better perspective on the matter, I asked members of ’s advisory board and others involved in the Civil War community to weigh in on the matter in the following pages. I wanted their frank opinions, with no guidance from me, and that’s what I got. Their answers speak to the complexity of the issue, but also offer good news. The general consensus is that the study of the Civil War changing, but its future is bright. It’s moving beyond old interpretations of the war and diversifying to tell the stories of people–slaves, black troops, and civilians, for example–that have been formerly overlooked or marginalized, while developing new approaches to the traditional studies of battles and soldier life and motivation. At the same time, technology is fueling innovative methods of consuming Civil War history that do not show up in visitor counts to battlefields. People are still eager to learn about the conflict. Civil War interest isn’t losing ground. We are finding new ways to