I had the great pleasure to visit
Antietam National Battlefield with a group of History professors and buffs in
April 2012. We were there for “Connecticut Day” at Antietam National
Battlefield. I have been to two National Battlefields, Gettysburg and Antietam,
and let me say, Antietam and Gettysburg are two very different places. Yes,
granted, they are both as important as each other, but there is one very
important thing you cannot over look. It’s how commercialized Gettysburg is
compared to Antietam. Gettysburg is the battle that everyone knows, but I believe
that Antietam is looked over when studied in school, and in history text books.
As a result of the Battle of
Antietam, Abraham Lincoln issued the Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation. I
believe that President Lincoln issued the Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation
because of two reasons. The results of the Battle of Antietam and Abraham
Lincoln simply being fed up of how long the war was taking.
With Antietam’s 150th anniversary
coming up in September, it’s not going to a huge celebration and hoop dido like
Gettysburg next summer, but it will still be an amazing event. Antietam
National Battlefield is an amazing place to visit. I highly recommend, if you
even have the opportunity, to explore what Antietam has to offer.
Antietam Nation Battlefield is the
most well preserved battlefield in the country, and it’s the same exact story
with the town of Sheperdsburg, surrounding the battlefield. It looks almost
exactly the same way it did 150 years ago, when the battle took place. The town
has been said to be “Frozen in Time”. That’s how much of the town is preserved.
With the 150th anniversary
coming up, we will all be keeping the Civil War and the Battle of Antietam in
our thoughts.
