CONTENT, SCOPE, & APPROACH

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania is often described as “the most famous small town in America,” and it is a moniker well earned. The three-day Battle of Gettysburg, fought from July 1-3, 1863, was, in its time, the single most destructive and traumatizing conflict to have ever occurred on U.S. soil. The battle, which pitted Lee’s increasingly confident Army of Northern Virginia against a reeling Union army that had been badly damaged by embarrassing defeats at Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville, helped turn the tide of an expensive and bloody conflict in the Union’s favor. Had it not been for Gettysburg, the history of the United States would almost certainly have unfolded in a very different way.

Recognizing the significance of the battle almost immediately, President Abraham Lincoln visited Gettysburg in the fall of 1863 to dedicate a new national cemetery and honor the soldiers who fought on the fields surrounding the town. The speech he gave—the world-famous Gettysburg Address—is widely recognized as perhaps the most perfect distillation of the values and principles embodied in the American political experiment with self-government. In that speech, Lincoln spoke eloquently of the sacrifices made by those who fought here, and described the complexity of commemorating them. “We cannot dedicate—we cannot consecrate—we cannot hallow this ground,” he said, for “the brave men, living and dead, who struggled here have consecrated it far above our poor power to add or detract.” Instead, Lincoln said, “it is for us, the living...to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced.” In a few short moments, Lincoln gave new meaning to the war’s purpose and to the difficult work that lay ahead for supporters of the beleaguered United States.

He also set Gettysburg’s course as a living monument to American democracy. In the decades following the battle, numerous ceremonies, celebrations, reunions, and commemorations have been staged to convey Gettysburg’s meaning to the American public. In this workshop, participants will explore the idea of Gettysburg as “hallowed ground”—first by examining the crucial historical events that placed this battle in our collective historical consciousness, then by extending their understanding of the battle’s meaning through discussions about its various interpretations and key historic sites. They will think critically and deeply about how Gettysburg’s meaning has been transmitted and transmuted by generations of Americans eager to understand what happened here, why it happened, and what meaning it has for us today. And they will have time to reflect, here in this place, on the sacrifices that have been made in defense of liberty, equality, and basic human decency as well as the ongoing commitment that we all must make, generation after generation, to the sustenance of this great experiment in self government.

In short, the intellectual thread running through this workshop—the idea of Gettysburg as “hallowed ground”—enables us to tie together the enormously significant historical events that occurred here and the complicated ways in which each generation carries that significance with them and into the future. We plan to highlight key aspects of the historical record through seminars and field excursions led by prominent national scholars, and will augment them with immersive discussions about the intersections of history and memory and the importance of historic preservation. We will also engage participants in discussions about the meaning of Gettysburg today, and how this meaning has evolved over time. Ultimately, and perhaps most importantly, we will explore how Gettysburg—the most famous small town in America—can serve as a guidepost for those eager to understand America’s past so that the future may be enhanced by a more active, engaged, and historically literate citizenry.

A Week's Worth of Immersion in the History of Gettysburg

What will we be doing during these week-long workshops in Gettysburg? Each week will begin on Sunday with a Keynote session and reception, held at the new Gettysburg Museum and Visitor Center (GMVC). That session will feature an opening talk given by Dr. Allen C. Guelzo, the Henry R. Luce Professor of Civil War Era Studies at Gettysburg College, and will also provide NEH Summer Scholars with an opportunity to browse the GMVC's museum and mingle with their fellow workshop participants and members of the faculty. The focus of workshop sessions on Monday will be the political, social, and economic factors that contributed to the outbreak of the Civil War and, ultimately, to the battle of Gettysburg. A classroom session that day will be led by Dr. Scott Hancock, Associate Professor of History at Gettysburg College, and will be punctuated by an evening tour of the rolling hills and fields of Adams County led by local historian Deb McCauslin. Workshop activities on Tuesday will begin to focus on the battle itself. Dr. Guelzo will lead a morning classroom session exploring the events that led the two armies directly to Gettysburg, concluding on the first day of the battle, July 1, 1863. Following a break for lunch, a second classroom session, led by Dr. Glenn W. LaFantasie, the Richard Frockt Family Professor of History at Western Kentucky University, will focus on the critical events of the battle's second day, especially the Union's storied defense of its left flank at Little Round Top. Tuesday's busy day will conclude with an evening tour, at twilight, of Little Round Top.

On Wednesday, workshop participants will have an opportunity to walk in the footsteps of the doomed Confederates ordered to charge across Emmitsburg Road and led by, among other, Gen. George Pickett. Pickett's Charge, the signature moment of this battle, if not of the entire war, sealed the fate of Robert E. Lee's army, in many ways, or at least signaled the enormous risks Lee would have to take to ensure victory. This session will be led by Dr. Carol Reardon, the George Winfree Professor of American History at Penn State. Participants will have free time in the afternoon on Wednesday to explore Gettysburg or to linger on the areas of the battlefield of greatest interest to them. Sessions held on Thursday  will be focused on the Gettysburg Address: a morning session led by Dr. Guelzo will include a tour of Gettysburg and of key sites visited by President Lincoln when he visited in November of 1863 to deliver his famous oration, and an afternoon discussion, led by Dr. Dave Powell, Assistant Professor of Education at Gettysburg College and the project director, focused on connecting the ideas about democracy expressed by Lincoln to classroom teaching activities. Finally, on Friday workshop activities are designed to bring the week's work to a conclusion by focusing on how the events that occurred here in Gettysburg in 1863 have been commemorated over time. In the morning, D. Scott Hartwig, Supervisory Historian and the Gettysburg National Military Park, will lead a tour of the Emanuel Harman farm--the site of bloody first-day fighting and later site of the long-gone Springs Hotel (which hosted the first Gettysburg Reunion in 1869)--to help participants see how the landscape around Gettysburg has changed, and hasn't changed, in the 150 years since the battle. Friday afternoon will be punctuated by a brief session led by Dr. Powell exploring some of the contemporary manifestations of war remembrance in Gettysburg. 

Become an NEH Summer Scholar and Join us on Hallowed Ground

As the project director of "On Hallowed Ground: Gettysburg in History & Memory," it is my pleasure to invite you to join us in Gettysburg next summer to learn about the ongoing significance of this place. Applicants chosen as NEH Summer Scholars at Gettysburg will be joined here by fellow teachers from around the country, and will be taught by some of the most engaged and engaging scholars of Civil War history working today. They will also have an opportunity to reflect on the momentous things that happened here while, for a short time at least, staying here--applicants selected as NEH Summer Scholars will stay right on campus at Gettysburg College, within walking distance of town and within a short walk of some of the most beautiful scenery in all of Pennsylvania, scenery preserved and protected by the American people.

The staff and scholars supporting this workshop are eager to identify colleagues with a passion for learning history, and for connecting it to other social and cultural phenomena, to join us as NEH Summer Scholars. You need not be a history or social studies teacher to apply; since the workshop is focused on presenting the idea of Gettysburg through myriad lenses, we encourage teachers of literature, art, philosophy, theater, music, and even apparently unrelated disciplines such as mathematics and science to apply. We also encourage applications from teachers who work with children at any stage of development, from early childhood through high school; we believe that a diversity of viewpoints and perspectives will enrich and strengthen the conversations that happen here in Gettysburg, but also that participating can have an impact on teachers whether they formally teach about Gettysburg and the Civil War in their classrooms or not. All that we ask is that selected NEH Summer Scholars bring with them a powerful desire to learn more about Gettysburg and the motivation to immerse themselves in a challenging scholarly endeavor. Applicants should also note that NEH Landmarks workshops are designed to be intellectually challenging and academically rigorous; it is expected that anyone chosen as an NEH Summer Scholar will commit to attending and actively engaging in all workshop activities. As you consider applying, please note that we expect competition for the limited number of spaces available at this workshop to be robust. For this reason, the essay you include with your application is of special importance. We would like to know what you expect to learn while here and how it will affect your work with students in the future. Our hope is the reach of this workshop will extend well beyond the borders of Gettysburg and promote, with apologies to President Lincoln, a "new birth of freedom" in the way teachers teach about what happened here.

If you think one of your colleagues may be interested in joining this program, or if you would like to join us yourself, feel free to contact me with questions; I can be reached by email (djpowell@gettysburg.edu) or by telephone (717.337.6552). I look forward to hearing from you!

Dave Powell, Project Director

 For more information about the Landmarks of American History & Culture Program sponsored by the National Endowment  for the Humanities, visit NEH on the web at http://www.neh.gov/.