Emancipation Proclamation on View at Tennessee State Museum, Nashville, Feb 12-18

The Tennessee State Museum in Nashville, which has had ongoing exhibits marking the Civil War Sesquicentennial, will exhibit the Emancipation Proclamation, Feb. 12-18 – the only museum in the southeast on the Emancipation Proclamation Tour © 2013 Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

The Emancipation Proclamation will be on view at the Tennessee State Museum Feb. 12 -18. The document, which is making its only southeastern U.S. stop in Nashville, will only be on view for 72 hours over the seven days. After that, a facsimile of the document will be in the exhibit. The viewing is in conjunction with the Discovering the Civil War exhibition from Washington D.C.’s National Archives.

President Abraham Lincoln signed the document in 1863 proclaiming all those enslaved in Confederate territory to be forever free. 2013 marks the 150^th anniversary of the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation.

“It is an incredible honor for Tennessee to host the Emancipation Proclamation, a document whose significance to the history of this country, and this region in particular, cannot be overstated,” according to The Honorable Bill Haslam, governor of the Volunteer State. “This delicate manuscript represents America’s recognition that all are entitled to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and we invite people from across the Southeast and the nation to see and celebrate with us the moment our country officially became the land of the free.”

Museum officials estimate that 300 people will be able to see the document each hour. However, time periods will be built in so that when no reservations are sold, lines can catch-up if they are running behind, or to let more people walk in if the line is running on time.

The Discovering the Civil War exhibit will continue at the museum through September 1, 2013. Many of the other items on display have never been publicly exhibited. Highlights include the original copy of the 13th Amendment abolishing slavery along with South Carolina’s 1860 declaration of secession. This popular traveling exhibit is free to the public, and the State Museum will be the last stop before these historic documents return to Washington D.C.

The exhibit is divided into 12 thematic areas that combine great original treasures, engaging touch screen interactive, and social media tools, all selected to illustrate the breadth of the conflict and to ask, “How do we know what happened?”

Reservations are on sale through TPAC Ticketing which has ticket windows on site in the same building as the museum. Visitors may obtain a reservation at the windows; going online to www.tpac.org; or by calling a local Nashville number 615-782-4040. There will be a handling charge of $1.00 paid to TPAC Ticketing for each reservation. There is no admission charge to see the document.

For additional updates on the Emancipation Proclamation and Discovering the Civil War, visit the museum’s website at www.tnmuseum.org. Discovering the Civil War was created by the National Archives and Records Administration and the Foundation for the National Archives.

For more information on Tennessee happenings, visit tnvacation.com, facebook.com/tnvacation, tnvacation.com/triptales/, instagram.com/tnvacation, twitter.com/tnvacation/ or pinterest.com/tnvacation/

See also:

Tennessee launches Civil War Heritage Trail in time for Sesquicentennial and slideshow

Women Play Dramatic, if Unheralded Roles in Civil War and slideshow

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Oaklands Christmas Candlelight Tour Features Historic Homes in Historic Murfreesboro, Tennessee

Interpreters in period attire guide you through the history of this gracious mansion. At its peak, Oaklands was the center of a 1,500 acre plantation and one of the most elegant homes in Middle Tennessee © 2012 Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

Usher in the holiday season with an enchanting tour of historic homes and landmarks. The annual Oaklands Christmas Candlelight Tour of Homes is slated for December 1, 2012 from 4:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. The tour, sponsored by Oaklands Association will feature beautiful and historic private homes along Cherry Lane and East Main Street and the graceful Oaklands Historic House Museum.

The cornerstone of the tour is the grand Oaklands Historic House Museum. Interpreters in period attire will guide you through the history of this gracious mansion. At its peak, Oaklands was the center of a 1,500 acre plantation and one of the most elegant homes in Middle Tennessee. Since that time, Oaklands has seen dramatic changes. Following the Civil War, it deteriorated from a majestic mansion to virtual ruins and, in the 1950’s, its very existence was threatened. The mansion was brought back from the brink of destruction and saved from the wrecking ball when a group of concerned ladies created Oaklands Association in 1959. Since that time, the Association has worked tirelessly to restore Oaklands to its original splendor and preserve its unique history.

Set in the historic district of Murfreesboro, stops along the holiday tour include the following historic buildings:

• · Oaklands Historic House Museum, 900 North Maney Avenue,
• · Mary Catherine & David Sevier, 138 Cherry Lane,
• · Tammie & Greg Waldron, 148 Cherry Lane,
• · Susan & Phil Loyd, 152 Cherry Lane,
• · Charlene & Ron Taylor, 816 East Main Street,
• · Pat & Matt Ward, 1019 East Main Street,
• · Marietta & Jim Bishop, 1103 East Main Street

Today, local residents and visitors alike enjoy the mansion that has been lovingly restored and brought back to its former glory. The proceeds of the Candlelight Tour of Homes go toward the care and preservation of this historic treasure. Admission is $10.00 per person 21 years and older, students $8 .00, ages 6-12, $5.00, ages 5 and under are free. Tickets may be purchased at any home on the tour and at Oaklands Historic House Museum. Oaklands Association is a non-profit educational organization. For more information on becoming a member or a volunteer, call (615) 893-0022 or email: info@oaklandsmuseum.org.

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Historic Hotels of America® Commemorates the Civil War Sesquicentennial With New Website Featuring Packages, Deals, Experiences

The Chattanooga Choo Choo, a Historic Hotels of America member, lets you stay in the actual railroad cars, now converted to accommodations. The Chattanooga railroad figured prominently in the Civil War; near the hotel, visit the Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park, the first military park in the nation © 2011 Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com.

To commemorate the four years of observance of the Civil War Sesquicentennial, Historic Hotels of America® has unveiled enhancements to its new interactive website featuring over 100 Civil War hotel packages and Hot Deals plus 500 Experiences.

Whether taking a journey to a Civil War event in South Carolina or experiencing a Civil War getaway to Pennsylvania, Historic Hotels of America’s Civil War Hot Deals section features packages closely linked to this important period in history.

When searching through the Experiences section on historichotels.org, visitors will find Civil War packages at hotels near more than 100 Civil War Battlefields, including Antietam, Maryland, and Gettysburg, Pennsylvania; 180 Civil War Programs with topics such as art and music; 150 Civil War Tours through Manassas in Virginia or Fort Sumter in South Carolina; 140 Civil War Re-Enactments from battles to living history demonstrations; and 60 Civil War Lectures ranging from clothing to weapons.

“These website enhancements allow travelers to have fun navigating and exploring Civil War packages while learning more about battlefields, historic homes, the Underground Railroad, and more,” said Thierry Roch, Executive Director, Historic Hotels of America.

Guests who book on historichotels.org through September 30, 2011, will receive a one-year family membership to the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Benefits include: 10 percent discount at participating Historic Hotels of America, discounted admission to over 600 historic places worldwide, subscription to Preservation magazine, and advance notice of special offers and historic experiences.*

Historic Hotels of America’s Civil War website enhancements are constantly expanding. Travelers are invited to check back often to find exciting journeys in history. Learn more on www.historichotels.org.

About Historic Hotels of America^®

Historic Hotels of America^® was founded in 1989 by the National Trust for Historic Preservation^® with 32 charter members. In 2007, Preferred Hotel Group partnered with the National Trust for Historic Preservation to grow and enhance Historic Hotels of America. With more than 235 hotels that have faithfully maintained their authenticity, sense of place, and architectural integrity in the United States of America including the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, Historic Hotels of America is comprised of mostly independently owned and operated properties. More than 30 of the world’s finest hospitality brands, chains, and collections are represented in Historic Hotels of America.

To be nominated and selected for membership into this prestigious program, a hotel must be at least 50 years old, listed in or eligible for the National Register of Historic Places, or recognized as having historic significance. Historic Hotels of America partners with Historic Hotels of Europe, a federation of 21 hotel associations in 21 countries, and with Historic Hotels of Mexico, an association of hotels and restaurants located in buildings of historical significance including haciendas, palaces, monasteries, convents, fortresses, country estates. For more information, visit www.historichotels.org.

See also:

 Tennessee launches Civil War Heritage Trail in time for Sesquicentennial and slidehosw

 Chattanooga is key stop on Tennessee’s Civil War Heritage Trail and slideshow

Civil War comes home to Spring Hill on Tennessee’s Heritage Trail and slideshow

Battle of Franklin: Bloodiest 5 Hours of Civil War marks death of the Old Southand slideshow

 Carnton Plantation and ‘The Widow of the South’ on Tennessee’s Civil War Trailand slideshow

 Women Play Dramatic, if Unheralded Roles in Civil War and slideshow

Battlefield, Manor and Boyhood Home Frame Civil War Heritage in Murfreesboro, TN and slideshow

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www.travelwritersmagazine.com/TravelFeaturesSyndicate

www.examiner.com/eclectic-travel-in-national/karen-rubin

 

Reenactment of Battle of Wilson’s Creek in Springfield MO, Aug 12-14 Marks 150th Anniversary

To observe the 150^th anniversary of the Battle of Wilson’s Creek just outside Springfield, Mo., the Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield Foundation is planning a commemoration Aug. 12-14, 2011. This event will include a full-scale Civil War battle reenactment, period civilian activities, crafts, educational activities, historical information booths, and much more. It will be on property north of the battlefield, and all proceeds will support the battlefield.

The conflict that threatened the future of the nation came home for the residents of southwest Missouri in August 1861, when two armies descended on the oak hills south of Springfield.  The Battle of Wilson’s Creek, the second major Civil War battle, decided the fate of Missouri and defined its role in the war. More than 2,500 Union and Confederate soldiers were killed, wounded or missing after the battle.

In 1961 on the 100^th anniversary of the battle, Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield was dedicated, becoming one of the best preserved and most pristine Civil War sites in the National Park System. Today, more than 150 years later, we are still remembering the events that took place there, the role Wilson’s Creek played in the struggle to save Missouri for the Union, and the larger effort to win freedom for an entire race of Americans. Visitors to the park can walk along the Wire Road like the young soldiers who fought and died, relive the battle from the perspective of the Ray family and understand the impact of the war through educational exhibits and artifacts in the Civil War Museum and Visitors Center.

Visit the nation’s historical sites over the next four years – the Sesquicentennial Anniversary of the Civil War – to keep the meaning of these special places alive for future generations.

For more information about the Battle of Wilson’s Creek commemoration and reenactment, visit www.wilsonscreek.com. To learn more about the Springfield area, visit www.SpringfieldAdventures.com or call the Convention & Visitors Bureau at 800-678-8767.

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Nashville’s Metro Historical Commission Launches Civil War Series April 9

Tennessee launches five-year commemoration of 150th anniversary of Civil War with a color guard of Union and Confederate soldiers at Nashville's Tennessee State Museum © 2011 Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

Nashville, TN, March 4, 2011—

The commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the Civil War is already underway, as key events are marked. The state of Tennessee, the only state which has been declared a Civil War Heritage Area, has launched the most ambitious and comprehensive program with a Civil War Heritage Trail that encompasses the entire state, with scores of events taking place over the next five years. In its entirety, the depth and breadth provides an unparalleled opportunity to re-connect with the complex and tormenting history and understand it in a way that is eerily, horrifyingly relevant to today.

Nashville’s Metropolitan Historical Commission will commence its Civil War Sesquicentennial program Saturday, April 9, at The Downtown Presbyterian Church in Nashville with a series of presentations called “The War Begins:  Causes of the Secession Crisis in Tennessee.” The church is located at the corner of Church Street and Fifth Avenue, North.

At 8:30 a. m., Mayor Karl Dean will make opening remarks.  He will be followed by Jim Hoobler, chairman of Metro Historical Commission’s Civil War Sesquicentennial Committee, who will give a brief history of The Downtown Presbyterian Church and its use during the Civil War.

Starting at 9 a. m., Dr. Jonathan Atkins, of Berry College in Mt. Berry, Georgia, will speak on “Parties, Politics and Sectional Conflict in Tennessee 1832-1861,” in which he will describe the causes in Tennessee leading to its involvement in the Civil War.

Dr. Kristopher Ray, of Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tennessee, and editor of the Tennessee Historical Quarterly, will explain at 10 a. m. how the leaders in both the North and South reinterpreted the precepts of America’s founding fathers to suit their own political, social and economic purposes.

At 11 a. m., The Fisk Jubilee Singers will perform spirituals and other songs appropriate to the Civil War period.  Their performance is partially funded by a grant from the Tennessee Arts Commission.

The program will end at noon.

“The Civil War was a defining event in American history,” Hoobler says.  “The causes of the war defined who we had been as a country, and the outcome of the war determined that we are a country.  Mayor Dean has asked that we as a community commemorate the brave men and women, North and South, who fought and died in this struggle. This event will mark the beginning of a five year activity of commemoration and remembrance.  The citizens of Nashville are encouraged to participate in these events and to remember our shared past.”

The event is free and open to the public.  Free parking is available in the Premier Parking Lot at Fifth and Church to those people who tell the attendant that they are attending the Symposium. For more information, contact Jim Hoobler at Jim.Hoobler@tn.gov.

See our series about Tennessee’s Civil War Trail launching soon at www.examiner.com/eclectic-travel-in-national/karen-rubin