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Seven score and 10 years ago

Local libraries and museums celebrate sesquicentennial of start of Civil War

When it comes to milestones in our nation’s rich history, there are some fairly big anniversaries to look forward to in the coming years—from the 70th anniversary of the U.S. getting involved in World War II this December to the golden anniversary of Apollo 11 landing on the moon eight years from now to our country’s semiquincentennial in 15 years.

But one of the most momentous of them all is here this week, when Americans will observe the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil War, the first shots of which were fired on Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861.

Michael Weeks, an amateur historian and author of The Complete Civil War Road Trip Guide , who last week gave a presentation on important Civil War sites at the Oak Lawn Library, says it’s essential for Americans to remember the historic conflict and ponder the lessons learned from its outcome.

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“The Civil War was the defining moment of our country as we know it today,” Weeks says. “It’s hard to imagine today how huge this event was, but it brought about the end of slavery and the death of 620,000 Americans, at a time when the population was about one-sixth of what it is today. The only American event that can compare to it is the Revolutionary War. Consider that everything that happened after the Civil War is still being argued about today, such as the issue of civil rights and the election of our first black president. The war is still with us.”

Weeks contends that the best way to honor and better appreciate our nation’s bloodiest struggle that lasted from 1861 to 1865 is to actually visit the places where the war was fought and planned.

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“You can read as many books as you want and try to learn about the world, but you won’t fully understand it until you get off your porch and go there,” he says. “Visiting places like the Sunken Road at Antietam in Maryland will send chills up your spine. And you need to talk to the people currently living near these sites. There’s always at least one person in town who can tell you every last thing about that particular battle.”

Weeks recommends planning a Civil War getaway tour that should probably begin in Washington D.C. From there, he suggests heading to Manassas National Battlefield Park in Virginia, followed by a visit to Antietam 90 minutes away; from there, you can travel half an hour to Harpers Ferry National Historic Park in West Virginia and then round out your trek at the battlefields of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania.

“I’m sure there will be events all over Illinois throughout the year, including Civil War re-enactments. One of the best you can get involved with is the Civil War Roundtable, which has a chapter in Chicago,” says Weeks.

Even if you can’t personally visit any Civil War sites this year, you can still partake in area events planned over the next two weeks that memorialize the war including:

  • A screening and discussion of Episode 1 of Ken Burns’ The Civil War from 7 to 10 p.m. on Wednesday, April 13 at CineVerse, Oak Lawn’s free weekly film discussion group, located at Oak View Center, 4625 W. 110th St. in Oak Lawn. The Civil War series, originally broadcast on PBS in 1990, is one of the finest documentaries ever created and one of the greatest productions ever aired on television. The first chapter in Burns’ groundbreaking series explores the causes that triggered the war and introduces the key players.
  • An evening with Civil War spy Elizabeth Van Lew from 7 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, Apr 14 at Palos Park Public Library, located at 12330 Forest Glen Blvd. in Palos Park. Annette Baldwin portrays Civil War spy Van Lew, an elite socialite from Richmond, and tells the fascinating real-life story of a brave and remarkable woman.
  • “Civil War Ghosts and Legends,” a storytelling session, at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 19 at the Orland Park Public Library, located at 14921 Ravinia Ave. in Orland Park. Join storyteller Brian “Fox” Ellis back in time at the bloody battlefields, gruesome field hospitals and haunted graveyards of America's Civil War.

Among other events scheduled in the Chicagoland area are:

  • Several key events at the Chicago History Museum, located at 1601 North Clark St., Chicago, such as: April 12: “Personally Yours: Chicago’s Civil War Stories,” presented by Olivia Mahoney; April 16: “Civil War-era Chicago” bus tour; and an ongoing exhibit: “Abraham Lincoln and Lincoln’s Chicago.”
  • Chicagoland’s National Civil War Collectors Show and Sale, Saturday, April 16  at the DuPage County Fairgrounds at 2015 Manchester Rd., Wheaton.
  • “DuPage County and the Civil War: A Local Perspective” running April 16 through Sept. 1 at the DuPage County Historical Museum, 102 E. Wesley St., Wheaton.
  • “Civil War High Tech,” an exhibit on display now through Aug. 21 at the Lake County Discovery Museum, 27277 N. Forest Preserve Road, Wauconda.

Additionally, the following Web sites provide interesting facts, timelines, maps and activities related to the Civil War:

  • CivilWar.org—a site devoted to the preservation of our nation's endangered Civil War battlefields.
  • ChicagoCWRT.org—Web portal of The Civil War Round Table of Chicago, a group that meets nine months of the year.
  • CivilWarTraveler.com—a hub for helping plan the ideal excursion to Civil War sites and battlefields.
  • NPS.gov—official home of the National Park Service, where you can map out your visit to historic Civil War grounds like Gettysburg National Park.
  • TheLincolnLog.org—a site that traces what President Abraham Lincoln was doing during and before the war years.
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