June 1, 1997
Why is the Civil War Becoming So Popular?
Over the last few years, interest in the American Civil War has skyrocketed. Civil War-related books are second in sales only behind the Bible and works on Jesus Christ. What has caused the people of this country to take up so huge an interest in the conflict that occurred more than 130 years ago?
The answer, in my opinion, is quite simple: Hollywood and television. There has been no better way over the last 30 years to get the public interested in a subject than by enticing them through television.
I feel that the first and most significant broadcast on the Civil War was the Ken Burns series on PBS entitled The Civil War. Quick to follow was the Turner hit, Gettysburg, starring Martin Sheen, Tom Berenger and Jeff Daniels. I have personally witnessed in my tri-monthly trips to Gettysburg that the movie itself has sparked a huge interest in Col. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain of the 20th Maine Regiment. His character, depicted by Jeff Daniels, has turned a little known professor from Maine into a hero of the Union Army recognized and admired by not only the millions of visitors of Gettysburg each year, but by millions of people all over the country.
In addition to these two major contributors, Civil War Journal on A&E; and the mini-series North and South, starring Patrick Swayze, has moved the Civil War ahead of every other interest area in the country.
So, next time you here someone bashing television, saying that there is nothing good coming out of Hollywood, remind them that Hollywood has been the agent of sparking an awareness of the country's most important conflict, the Civil War.
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The United States Civil War Center at LSU
This site is the absolute best that I have found thus far. It takes a comprehensive look at the Civil War and provides hundreds of links to various sites on the net. You can even look up burial places for specific regiments and soldiers!
The American Civil War
Next to the USCWC at LSU, this is probably the best site I have come across on the Civil War. Like LSU, this site presents tons of links, search options and regimental information.
American Civil War Homepage
This is another great site for doing research getting either general or topic specific information on the Civil War
Crisis At Fort Sumter
This site contains not only lots of information on Fort Sumter, but also a role playing game in which the player assumes the role of Abraham Lincoln during the crisis in April of 1861.
Valley Of The Shadow
This site presents information on a project at the University of Virginia that compares Augusta County in Virgina to Franklin County in Pennsylvania. This is a very interesting comparison that any avid Civil War reader should look at.
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American Civil War
