Americans for Battlefield Preservation

04/25/2025

Tomorrow is Park Day! Find a volunteer event near you with over 100 sites across the U.S!

04/16/2025

Preservation victory! Ahead of its 250th Anniversary, two acres of Barrett Farm — the objective of the British Army on the first Day of the American Revolution — has been turned over to Minute Man National Historic Park.

In April of 1775, the British Army set off from Boston to Concord to seize a stockpile of Patriot arms and artillery held by Col. James Barrett at his farm. The march attracted considerable attention from the minutemen and militia of Massachusetts who assembled at Lexington, the site of the opening volley of the Revolution and the famous Shot Hear Round the World.

(Concord, Mass.) — A two-acre portion of the Barrett Farm, the objective of the British Army on the first day of the American Revolution, has been saved...

04/10/2025

Victory at Second Deep Bottom! More than 50 acres of hallowed ground at the 1864 battlefield just south of Richmond! Only just next to already preserved land from Second Deep Bottom, this new addition will enhance the ability to tell the story of the battle and allow visitor a richer experience in its understanding. This feat could not be possible without the American Battlefield Trust, Virginia Battle Preservation Fund, Virginia Land Conservation Foundation, the American Battlefield Preservation Program, local Virginia partners, and donors like you!

More than 50 acres located directly next to an already protected part of the battlefield have been preserved forever! This victory protects hallowed ground...

03/25/2025

Want to get involved with your local battlefield or historic site? Participate in the 29th Annual Park Day and help maintain America's precious historical resources! With over 100 sites across the US, theres an opportunity for anyone to join in on the action on April 26th! Learn more with the link below.

Join us April 26, 2025, for our annual event that brings history enthusiasts and community volunteers together in an effort to help keep our nation’s...

03/13/2025

🚨 Preservation Opportunity! 🚨 Help the American Battlefield Trust save 15 acres at Gettysburg!

We’re nearly to the finish line to save 15 hallowed acres at Gettysburg. Please help us raise the remaining needed in time for Gettysburg’s 162nd...

02/25/2025

An invasion is happening on the land of Virginia's historic battlefields. The grounds of Manassas National Battlefield Park and Wilderness Battlefield are under the direct threat of large-scale developments that include data centers and mixed-use projects. These behemoth projects threaten to alter over 4,000 acres of land at these sacred sites, overshadowing the legacies of those that fought and died here.

But there is hope, and we need your support more now than ever to ensure that these historic landscapes are preserved for future generations. Support the ongoing legal and public awareness efforts to protect Manassas and the Wilderness by donating through the link below.

Massive developments are closing in on Manassas and Wilderness Battlefields. Stand with history. Join the battle for preservation today.

02/14/2025

Victory at Wyse Fork! 86 acres have been saved by purchases at two adjacent properties just in time for its 160th Anniversary. Key areas at North Carolina's second largest battle of the Civil War will live forever thanks to everyone's tireless and generous support!

We are incredibly excited to announce 86 acres of hallowed ground, from two adjacent properties, have been preserved at Wyse Fork, ahead of the battle’s...

02/04/2025

In Virginia this month? Visit Sailor's Creek Battlefield and learn about the active role of African American soldiers during the Appomattox Campaign at one of the last battles of the Civil War.

Sailor's Creek will also hold a special education program on Feb. 13 featuring a short lecture about the underground railroad, highlighting the pioneers of the era and their strength in overcoming challenges. Following the lecture, there will be a tour of the Hillsman House, the birthplace of educator Robert Russa Moton, an administrator of the Hampton Institute and second Principal of the Tuskegee Institute.

Visit these 7️⃣ state parks this month to learn and honor Black history. Along the route, find special programs to attend. Or simply explore at your own pace. Details here: https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state-parks/blog/a-virginia-state-parks-road-trip-for-black-history-month

🚗 Parks along the route:
WW: Widewater State Park
YR: York River State Park
CP: Chippokes State Park
PO: Pocahontas State Park
SC: Sailor's Creek Battlefield Historical State Park
TL: Twin Lakes State Park
HB: High Bridge Trail State Park

01/30/2025

Another simple, yet amazing opportunity to get further involved with battlefield preservation!

Welcome to the Battlefield Partners Network!Join us in preserving the landscapes of America's historic battlefields. Whether you're a history buff, a...

01/21/2025

This week’s is John Ward Dunsmore’s 1908 painting of the Battle of Springfield. On display at the Fraunces Tavern Museum in New York, the painting depicts Patriot clergyman James Caldwell handing out hymn books to fellow soldiers in the Continental Army to ensure his comrades had paper wadding for their muskets and cannons.

Born in Virginia in 1734, Caldwell graduated from what is now Princeton University and chose to become a Presbyterian minister in Elizabethtown, N.J., even after inheriting 500 acres of land in his native Cub Creek, Va. With the increasing tensions between the American colonies and the British, Caldwell became active in the Patriot movement, becoming known as the “Fighting Parson.” His fervent involvement in Patriot circles led to his home and church being burnt to the ground by Loyalists.

Shortly after joining George Washington’s Army when encamped at Morristown, N.J, his wife Hannah was killed by British soldiers in front of their children at their home in Connecticut Farms amid a skirmish between American and Hessian forces. Caldwell became increasingly bitter, choosing to serve on the front lines during the Battle of Springfield two weeks later. As the artillery ran low on wadding for their cannonballs, Caldwell broke into a nearby church to scavenge hymnbooks published by noted English clergymen Isaac Watts, yelling “Give ‘em Watts, boys!” His efforts allowed the Americans to secure victory. One year later, however, Caldwell was killed accidently by an American sentry after he refused to have a package inspected.

Learn more about the painting here:
https://frauncestavern.pastperfectonline.com/webobject/02DA50B0-2E85-45DF-A334-979683160233?fbclid=IwY2xjawH8uyNleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHTkefOK5sL9Dn-3QVJwE2Ug9L8W03PvrT9clW_B1qJrc_GtYhF5P9bCMJA_aem_TdBu8omNqaroVRAOFyy2TQ

12/13/2024

Join Valley Forge National Historical Park this Saturday at 10:30 am for a lecture with historian Kenneth A. Gavin titled, “There is But One Option for the Winter: Valley Forge.” This lecture will discuss the complex set of social, political, economic and strategic factors as to why Washington chose to encamp the Continental Army at Valley Forge, along with the impact of its presence in the area. Gavin will argue that the impact of this choice was of great value to the patriot cause from a strategic military and foreign policy perspective.

The lecture will be held in the Meeting Room at the Valley Forge Visitor Center with a 60-minute presentation and 15-minute audience discussion.

12/11/2024

This week’s is Charles Willson Peale’s 1784 painting “George Washington at the Battle of Princeton.” Not to be confused with Peale’s quite similar portrait of Washington after the Battle of Princeton — both on display at the Princeton University Art Museum — this version of Washington displays him in the midst of battle with sword drawn following the death of his close friend, General Hugh Mercer, who was stabbed by British soldiers during a vanguard action shortly before the battle. This portrait represents Washington charging into the chaotic fray for the patriot cause, ensuring that Mercer’s death — nor others — would be critical in turning the tide of the war in favor of the growing new nation.