Camp Sumter was built in Georgia in order to relocate the majority of Union prisoners further away from Richmond (VA), where the original camp was, which was close to the fighting. Despite a relatively short time in operation, Camp Sumter became a byword for terrible sanitation and dire conditions: of the 45,000 Union POWs held there, around 13,000 died from a mixture of scurvy, dysentery and diarrhoea.
Finding enough food to feed the quantity of prisoners was a major issue, as was the lack of fresh water. The only water supply also served as a latrine, which unsurprisingly led to major outbreaks of disease throughout the camp. Exposure was also a major problem – despite being surrounded by forest, prisoners had no opportunity to artificially generate heat and winters could be harsh.
Andersonville’s commander, Henry Wirz, was tried for war crimes following the Union’s liberation of Andersonville in May 1865. The extreme suffering and overcrowding that happened under his watch meant that overwhelming evidence saw him found guilty and executed by hanging.
A couple of months later, some former prisoners returned to Andersonville in order to try to identify and mark the graves and names of some of the Union war dead. In 1890 the site was purchased by a Union veterans organisation, the Georgia Department of the Grand Army of the Republic, who in turn sold it to the Women’s Relief Corps. They made strenuous efforts to turn the site into a memorial park, and in 1910, donating the site to the people of the United States.
Today, Andersonville Prison, together with the National Prisoner of War Museum and the Andersonville National Cemetery form a Nation Historic Site. In addition to exploring the prison itself, visitors can learn about the role of American POWs in numerous different conflicts and view exhibits detailing their sacrifice. Entrance to the National Park and museum is free. The Andersonville Prison site also includes the cemetery, which is now a National Cemetery and is still active today as a burial place for war veterans.
Andersonville is located in southwest Georgia, 12 miles north of Americus and 11 miles south of Montezuma on GA-49. It’s clearly signed from the road and there is ample parking. You’ll struggle to get here via public transport, which is somewhat limited outside of cities in the south.
]]>Part of the Maryland Campaign and the Confederate Army’s first incursion into the North, led by General Lee, the Battle at Antietam raged for twelve hours and ended with a Confederate withdrawal, though only after a long, inconclusive, mutually destructive day’s fighting. The total cost to both sides was estimated to be upwards of 23,000 casualties.
It was far from a conclusive victory for the Union, but strategically, they had the upper hand following the Confederate abandonment of their invasion. The battle also provided enough political cover to allow President Lincoln to move forward with his preliminary Emancipation Proclamation.
Antietam Battlefield National Park commemorates this battle and is a goldmine of information about the War. With so many activities and tours, one could spend days there. However, those with limited time can visit the Antietam Battlefield visitors centre to see their exhibits, enjoy a battlefield talk by one of the Park Rangers or embark on an 8½ mile self guided tour of the Antietam Battlefield by car, bicycle or on foot.
The Antietam Battlefield tour has eleven stops and audio/CD guides are available at the park’s bookstore. There are also audio-visual experiences, one of which is introductory and runs for half an hour and the second an award-winning hour long recreation of the battle. Antietam is widely believed to be one of the best-preserved Civil War battlefields in America.
Note: the visitor centre is currently closed until Autumn 2022 for refurbishment.
The battlefield is located just outside of Sharpsburg, Maryland. If you’re travelling on Interstate 70 (Washington/Baltimore area), you’ll want to take exit 29 onto Route 65 (South) – it’s a further 10 miles, and the visitors centre is on your left. If you’re travelling from the north (Philadelphia) or south on Interstate 81, take exit 1 onto route 68, followed by Route 65 for another 5 miles.
]]>Thought to date to at least the 8th century AD, Ciudad Perdida was one of a number of settlements built by the Tayrona Indians, who inhabited the area now known as Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta on Colombia’s Caribbean coast. Located high in the mountains, it is unclear exactly how long the site was inhabited for, though it’s believed Ciudad Perdida was abandoned to the jungle around the time of the Spanish conquest.
Local tribes knew of the city’s existence and visited regularly, following the city’s abandonment. Reportedly they gave the Spanish gifts of gold in order to appease them, although this didn’t work: several items made from this gold can be seen in museums across Colombia today.
In 1972 the site was discovered by looters who began collecting artefacts from the area and selling them on the black market. This in turn led to archaeologists exploring the region and Ciudad Perdida was uncovered officially in 1976. Major excavation works took place for the following 6 years in order to uncover more of the site. .
Remote yet spectacular, Ciudad Perdida is high on many travellers’ lists of things to see in Colombia. The mystery, atmosphere and views from the site are all spectacular, and well worth the effort it takes to get here. You’ll want to be one of the first groups here in the day to really get a feel for it (and to take the best photos). Guides and translators do a good job at bringing the site’s history to life: although it’s been excavated and cleared to reveal a number of raised stone and earth platforms built atop high mountain peaks, it can be hard to picture what life here must have been like.
The remaining structures include the ruins of houses, paths, staircases, storehouses, canals and communal areas as well as remains thought to have a ceremonial purpose.
Native peoples still live in this area, and after kidnappings in the early 2000s the site has military posts – don’t be surprised if you spot men in uniform and holding guns who look somewhat out of place when you get there.
It’s worth also remembering the site is under threat from over-tourism. Whilst it’s a major draw for the area, and a means of livelihood for local communities, the dramatic increase in the number of visitors puts the site’s long term future at risk.
Ciudad Perdida is not for the faint hearted: you can only access the site via a guided four day trek (or longer if you want to go at a slower pace) through the jungle. It’s an experience in itself, but it’s steep terrain and hot: ask to start as soon as it gets light to avoid hiking in the worst of the jungle heat, pack lightly, and honestly assess your fitness before starting. It’s not glamorous, but it’s an incredibly rewarding experience.
Most treks depart from the nearby town of Santa Marta – several tour operators will offer their services and its worth doing some research about the quality of their guides and what they offer.
]]>The 40,000 acre Helmsley estate became Dunscombe Park in 1694 when it was bought by Charles Duncombe. However, it was his nephew Thomas Duncombe who commissioned the Italianate baroque mansion in 1711. The Rievaulx Terrace, built in 1758 by Thomas Duncombe II, was originally land owned by Rievaulx Abbey before it was seized during the dissolution of the monasteries under Henry VIII.
Thomas had two neo-classical temple ‘follies’ built on the terrace: the first, a domed Dionic Temple with a floor paved with tiles from the abbey. The second, an Ionic Temple intended for banqueting. Both ‘follies’ were set within Duncombe’s impressive 18th century English landscape garden.
The property was passed down the Duncombe family, including Charles Slingsby Duncombe, Member of Parliament and High Sheriff of Yorkshire for 1790-1, who built an extensive art collection there.
Dunscombe Park became a girls’ school from 1914-1980, although the Rievaulx Terrace and temples were acquired by the National Trust in 1972. After 1985, the house was restored to the family home by the 6th earl Feversham. For fans of period drama, Dunscombe Park was later used during filming for the 2012 TV mini-series Parade’s End as fictional Groby Hall.
Duncombe Park provides ample opportunities for time travelling despite the great house being closed to the public. Visitors can still enjoy Duncombe’s vast estate, including discovery trails and orienteering courses, the great lawn, a scented ‘secret garden’, and a walk through medieval parkland to find the valley’s ancient trees.
The Ionic Temple’s basement also currently holds an exhibition on English landscape design in the 18th century, and the central table is still set as if for a meal. Be sure to also visit the National Centre for Birds of Prey, to which Duncombe Park has been home since 2013.
Duncombe Park is located one mile south-west of Helmsley, a 1.3 mile walk from the town centre. If driving, Dunscombe Park is reached on the A19 via Thirsk, or the B1257 from York. For those using public transport, you can get the 31X bus from York to Helmsley and walk 1.3 miles through the estate.
]]>El Tepozteco is a hilltop shrine to the Aztec deity Tepoztecatl, god of pulque, made up of two rooms. At its height, it attracted pilgrims and visitors from as far away as modern day Guatemala. The views are spectacular, even on a hazy day, and many consider the hike worthwhile for these alone.
Whilst not the most impressive site in Mexico by a long haul, it is a great stop on a hike through the park. Getting to El Tepozteco can be tricky and involves some hiking, although the scenery is beautiful.
The climb can take up to an hour, although it’s relatively shady. It’s a popular route for hikers at the weekends so be prepared for it to be busy – you’ll be able to buy refreshments from vendors on the way up. Guides will offer their services: it’s not really worth it unless you’re after a very in depth history.
The site is a 2.5km forest trek from the town of Tepoztlán in Morelos. The path is relatively steep: bring water, wear sturdy shoes and consider your fitness level before setting off.
Tepoztlán itself is about 80km south of Mexico City.
]]>Today, Ellis Island is part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument accessed by a ferry, also home to the Ellis Island Immigration Museum and Wall of Honor.
Prior to its better-known function as an immigration control point, Ellis Island had been owned by the state of New York. The island was purchased by the federal government in 1808, first for use as a fortification as military tensions continued with Britain after the American War of Independence. Fort Gibson operated on Ellis Island as a barracks and jail for British prisoner during the war of 1812. The magazine was expanded during the Civil War but afterwards fell into decline.
Following the shift of immigration powers from individual states to the federal government in 1890, as the port for immigration into New York. Nearby Castle Garden had originally served this purpose, but more space was needed due to the influx of mostly European migrants in the 19th century.
The Ellis Island Immigration Station (which today operates as a museum) was the second such building on the Island, completed in 1900 after the original burnt down. Ellis Island served as a checking point for disease and legal issues of those incoming “steerage” passengers who could not afford a first or second ticket on the boats, as those with such tickets were assumed unlikely to have any such issues.
Ellis Island was known as the “Island of Tears” for the 2 percent of migrants refused entry to the US, usually due to being diagnosed with a contagious disease or considered likely to commit crime. However, Ellis Island was generally regarded as a symbol of hope, particularly with its location in the shadow of the Statue of Liberty, which had been dedicated in 1886.
The myth that newcomers were forced to change their names has so far been left unproven, although many recent immigrants Americanised their names within the first 5 years after arriving. After 1924, Ellis Island was mostly used as a detention centre, particularly during World War Two, by which time most immigration procedures were carried out in consulates.
Enjoy a ferry journey over to Ellis Island with fantastic views of the Big Apple, overlooked by the monumental Statue of Liberty. You can still see the elegant and impressive processing room which welcomed newcomers to America, contrasted with the sterile dorms used for quarantining migrants with suspected disease.
The Ellis Island Immigration Museum offers a detailed insight into the island’s history, its role in the country’s immigration procedures and the stories of the immigrants. Primarily, the museum is a celebration of immigration and includes the Wall of Honour, which since 1990 has marked 775,000 names including those of slaves, indigenous Americans and immigrants who were not processed on the island.
Visitors arrive and depart Ellis and Liberty Islands, located in New York Harbour, via ferries operated by Statue Cruises. These ferries leave from two locations: Battery Park, at the southern tip of Manhattan in New York City, and Liberty State Park in Jersey City.
]]>Independence National Historical Park is spread over 55 acres within the City of Philadelphia and offers visitors a variety of ranger-guided walking tours as well as various indoor and outdoor activities.
After the Boston Tea Party as the British Crown punished the Americans with the Intolerable Acts, the First Continental Congress met at carpenter’s Hall in Philadelphia between September and October 1774. The meeting organised a pact among the colonies to boycott British goods starting in December that year.
On May 10, 1775, the Second Continental Congress met at the Pennsylvania State House after the Battles of Lexington and Concord marked the start of the American Revolutionary War. Congress soon after adopted the Olive Branch Petition in July 1775, affirming American loyalty to King George and asking him to prevent further conflict. However, the petition was rejected and the king formally declared the colonies to be in rebellion.
In February of 1776, the revolutionaries discovered the British had established a blockade of American ports and declared all American ships to be enemies. Each colony had to declare their vote for independence and thus, war with Britain.
From 1790, the President George Washington established a capital along the Potomac River in Philadelphia, and Congress Hall served as the seat of the United State Congress. The President’s House served as official working and living place of George Washington and John Adams, and the Supreme Court met at the Old City Hall.
It was not until 1915 that there was a proposal for some form of park around Independence Hall. The idea of a park became popular in the 1920s and 1930s, and World War Two heightened patriotism and the urge to protect national monuments. In June 1948, Congress authorised the creation of Independence National Historical Park.
Today, the Independence National Historical Park is home to a mammoth wealth of American Revolutionary locations. Sites to visit include: Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, the historic house museum of Benjamin Franklin and the open-air site of President’s House, which details room by room how the house functioned and from the President to household slaves.
For free you can enjoy a tour of Independence Hall, where the meeting places of the early American independent government have been recreated. Beyond touring these fantastically preserved buildings, you can pause along your historical journey in either Washington Square or the Magnolia Garden.
Stretching across several blocks of central Philadelphia, the easiest way to reach Independence National Historical Park is via public transport. Ride the MFL to 5th St Independence Hall Station. Otherwise, buses 17, 33, 38 and 57 all stop within the park.
]]>A legacy of the early British Columbia forest industry, this steam-powered sawmill is typical of many operations that flourished in the province from the 1880s to the 1940s. Although small in scale, it contains many elements of larger coastal mills including the log haul and double circular saws.
The mill is enriched by associated resources that tell the story of logging, transportation and labour. Together, they commemorate an industry that has dominated economic and social life in British Columbia.
Established in 1925 by Robert Bartlett McLean, his wife Cora and their three sons, it continued as a family-run operation until 1965. Built resources at the site were constructed of local materials by the McLean family and their workers.
The deliberate creation of zones of activity is still plainly visible. The site includes a steam-powered sawmill and original machinery representative of the range of activities undertaken in the forest industry. Built resources and machinery span the 40 years of mill operation, demonstrating the typical components of a British Columbia sawmill and logging operation and their evolution over that period. The site also includes transportation facilities for a steam-powered locomotive.
McLean Mill was designated a national historic site of Canada in 1989 to commemorate: its collection of extant resources related to logging, sawmilling, transportation and labour; and, its close association to significant aspects of the forest industry.
McLean Mill is the perfect place for a stroll any time of year. Whether it’s to take in the history or to go for scenic walk with your family or fury baby, you won’t be disappointed. The surroundings are breathtaking.
The site is open for self-guided tours at all times, maps are available at the Mill Store (Admin Building) and some of the heritage houses are set up so that you can have a peek at how life used to be around the McLean Mill. Entry is free.
The address of McLean Mill Historic Park is 5633 Smith Rd, Port Alberni, BC V9Y 8Z1. The national heritage site is located in the centre of Vancouver Island, roughly a 1-hour drive outside of Nanaimo, which can be reached from the city of Vancouver via BC Ferry.
From Nanaimo, drive down the BC-19 northbound and the BC-4 West to Alberni-Clayoquot B. When you have arrived at Alberni, take a right at Cherry Creek Road until you reach the town of Cherry Creek. Take a left down Cowley Road and proceed to take the third right onto Cypress Boulevard. Take the last left onto Batty Road and follow direction to McLean Mill Historic Park.
]]>The American Revolution began as a protest against the treatment of the Americans as British subjects and turned into an eight year war for American independence.
At Minute Man National Historical Park, the Battles of Lexington and Concord are brought to life through the preservation, restoration and interpretation of significant sites from “that famous day and year” when Colonists took up arms in defense of liberty and touched off the American Revolution.
At Concord’s North Bridge, visitors can see the place where, on April 19, 1775, Colonial militia men fired the famous “shot heard ’round the world.” Minute Man National Park includes the Battle Road Trail, the site of the first battle of the American Revolution which took place on 19 April 1775. Visitors can hike this trail or drive parts of it and a guided walk starts every day at 12:30pm from the Minute Man Visitor Centre. The next site along the way is Hartwell Tavern, a traditional pre-revolution homestead followed by The Wayside, the former home of Louisa May Alcott and other literary giants. You can only visit the Wayside with a guided tour.
Minute Man National Park is named after the Minute Men, the volunteer American militia who fought for their country. Also found at Minute Man National Park is the North Bridge, the site of a famous battle commemorated in a poem by Ralph Waldo Emerson as the location of the “shot heard round the world”. Rangers are on hand here to offer a twenty minute talk.
Visitors can plan their itinerary by starting their day at the Minute Man Visitor Centre, which also includes an introduction to the war via a multimedia presentation. There is also a North Bridge Visitor Centre, which holds a brass cannon called The Hancock. Guided tours and ranger programs are also available as are audio guides.
The address of Minute Man National Historical Park is 174 Liberty Street, Concord, MA. Most visitors travel to this location from the city of Boston.
The drive from Boston takes roughly 18 minutes. If travelling via public transport it is advised to take the Red Line on the subway to Alewife before transferring onto the 62/76 bus to the National Historical Park.
]]>Numbered among these are the D.C. War Memorial, the National World War II Memorial, the Korean War Veterans Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, the Washington Monument, Thomas Jefferson Memorial, Ulysses S. Grant Memorial, the George Mason Memorial and over sixty statues.
National Mall and Memorial Parks are also responsible for Pennsylvania Avenue from the White House to the Capitol, Constitution Gardens and East and West Potomac Parks.
Federally owned and administered parks in the capital area date back to 1790. The open spaces and parklands envisioned by Pierre L’Enfant’s plan, which was commissioned by President George Washington, created a stage for national expressions of remembrance, observance, celebration, and expression of First Amendment rights.
The National Mall and Memorial Parks as they are today were designated by Congress in 1965 and include a range of iconic sites commemorating presidents, honouring the sacrifice of war veterans, and celebrating the country’s values.
Often referred to as “America’s front yard,” the National Mall spans the area between the Potomac River and the Capitol. Beyond the Mall and memorial grounds, the Memorial Parks includes 156 small green spaces and many circles, squares, and fountains throughout Washington, DC. Ford’s Theatre, East and West Potomac Parks, Pennsylvania Avenue National Historic Site, and the new Belmont-Paul Women’s Equality National Monument are also managed as part of this National Parks Service unit.
National Mall and Memorial Parks (NAMA) is responsible for more than 1,000 acres of parkland containing many of the United States’ more significant natural and cultural resources.
This area is a popular tourist attraction and brimming with information relating to America’s history. Thousands of school children, families, foreign visitors, veterans, and recreational users come to the park daily. Visitors take advantage of interpretive programming presented by Park Rangers, park exhibits, publications, orientation services, and panoramic views from the Washington Monument and the Old Post Office Tower.
Public transportation is the best option for reaching National Mall and Memorial Park sites easily and conveniently. There are many different ways to travel such as the Metro, or bicycle via Capital Bikeshare. The D.C. Circulator National Mall Route also provides easy access around the National Mall and convenient connections to other Circulator buses for visits to uptown sites.
There are 3 major airports near to Washington, D.C. These are Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Washington Dulles International Airport, and Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport.
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