Preserving Our National History

In having travelled to several countries around the world, I have had the opportunity to pursue the study of a subject that has been very dear to me for a number of years and that is history. Anyone reading my blogs knows that I have an appreciation of history and strongly believe the adage that if we forget the past that we are doomed to repeat it. It's for this reason that whenever I'm afforded the opportunity to see some of this historical sites around the world, I take the chance wholeheartedly. However, one thing I have further appreciated is the fact that here in the United States, no matter how seemingly insignificant, historical markers are often setup to document a small knoll or a cluster of trees where something of significance may have taken place. I have heard people from other countries criticize the fact that the United States is a much younger country than most of the rest of the world and it seems sometimes comical to these same people to see something as mundane as the sight of General Lee's encampment at Manassas marked off with such reverence but I think it's what shows our appreciation for our history.

It's a sad fact that the push for expansion within our country does push boundaries at times and this can lead to some very heated discussions. I remember a few years ago when the Walt Disney Company started making plans for a historical part located on the edge of Manasass Battlefield just outside of DC. Being younger at the time I was initially excited and in those days, I had no clue where Manassas was as those portions of Virginia were still rather rural and distant from the city. Flash forward a few years and you find that the area is now teeming with people and the urban landscape is quickly changing. What was once rolling landscape is now bumping next to mini-malls and car dealerships.

Now I'm not saying that we should halt progress in order to preserve tracts of land where new homes could be built but I'm wondering what we are erasing or forgetting if we do allow this to happen. Virginia and parts of the South are peppered with sites like Manassas though not all of them are as significant. For those who don't know, Manassas was the site of the first major battle between the Union and the Confederacy during the Civil War. It is important to note (if for no other reason) that it was this war that helped change the face of the nation for decades and centuries to come. The war ultimately led to the preservation of the Union and allowed the continuation of the ideals of the United States. Now you may or may not agree with what happened in that war but you can never argue against the fact that so much can be attributed to it.

That being said is it any wonder there's a push to preserve the battlefield? Perhaps it's a sense of misplaced sentiment but I still think it's important. Many wonder why we should preserve wide open tracts of land which have no real purpose now. They point to Europe and also point out the fact that although both World War I and World War II were fought there, not everything has been preserved as it was in those years. Memorials exist and certain areas remain as they were but progress was allowed to take place. But it's different here. The rolling hills, the stately trees and the silent statued memorials to brave men (and women) that dot the battlefields stand as mute reminders to what it took to keep our nation together. Though Europe won't soon forget the ravages of war, is it any less of us to want to preserve the history of our nation as well?