It has been 240 years since the first shot was fired in what would later be named the Revolutionary War. This war represented a turning point in the overall struggle for American freedom. It is with great pride and patriotism that the Civil War Trust has chosen Veteran’s Day to announce to a group of preservationists and historians a new initiative to preserve the battlefields of this important war in America’s history.
James Lighthizer, president of the Trust, explained that Campaign 1776, the name chosen for this initiative, will help the nation to remember and honor the sacrifices made during this battle that took place many years before the more nationally recognized Civil War.
The Civil War Trust has worked for nearly 30 years to ensure protection of the battlegrounds from the Civil War through using grants and donations. Chairman, Michael Grainger, explained that Campaign 1776 will enable a better understanding of a more expanded view of the history of America.
In addition to preservation of Revolutionary War battlefields, the Campaign 1776 initiative will include those endangered battlefields from the War of 1812, during which time American gained independence from Great Britain.
According to a 2007 report from the National Park service, only 100 out of 243 battlefields from these wars have been historically preserved over the last 200 years. Without intervention, these remaining sites may lose their integrity as a result of future land developments, such as housing.
American Revolution Institute of the Society of the Cincinnati director, Jack Warner, explained that many of these lost battlefields have been compromised by the expanding cities of Philadelphia, Boston and New York. He believes that the Civil War Trust is the best choice for preserving the battlefields that still remain.
The first project of Campaign 1776, explained Lighthizer, is to raise money to preserve 4.6 acres that make up the Princeton Battlefield. On January 3, 1777, George Washington, a general during the Revolutionary War, defeated the British Regulars on this battlefield. The Princeton Battlefield Society, the State of New Jersey, and local governments will work with the Civil War Trust to accomplish this. This project will result in the first upgrade made to Princeton Battlefield State Park since 1971.
The president of the Princeton Battlefield Society, Jerry Hurwitz, noted that the expertise offered by the Trust to preserve this battlefield will not only keep historic grounds maintained, but will also show the people of America the importance of doing so.
Liz Lempert, mayor of Princeton, and Richard Boornazian, with the state’s Natural and Historic Resources department, represent government involvement in the Princeton project, along with the Green Acres program run by the state. They are excited about the opportunities that will be provided by preserving the battlefield.
The Campaign 1776 initiative began when the Civil War Trust was approached by the National Park Service (NPS) to inquire about expanding the origins of battlefields being preserved to include those from the War of 1812 and the Revolutionary War.
After taking into consideration any negative impact this expansion would have on the current preservation work the Trust was working on, as well as the benefits of protecting these additional battlefields from becoming compromised, the Trust board held a vote. All members agreed that these additional battlefields should be included in the preservation work of the Trust.
Once this was decided, the Trust partnered with NPS to establish a map of the Revolutionary War using GPS technology. There was also grant money made available for land preservation at a federal level. A preservation plan was put in place to model the newly included battlefields on the present Civil War battlefields preservation effort with the help of a report from the American Battlefield Protection Program.
For members of the Civil War Trust, involvement with Campaign 1776 is voluntary. As well, those who sign up to work on Campaign 1776 do not have to already be an active member of the Trust.
Benefits of Campaign 1776 include offering education opportunities to the public regarding the battlefields of these wars, much like the Trust currently offers about those from the Civil War.
The Civil War Trust offers donors the opportunity to contribute to specific projects it supports, and it is often the recipient of state or federal grants. The Trust purchases land in order to preserve its historical significance as a battlefield from willing sellers. It also collaborates with developers to ensure that communities continue to grow while keeping historic land preserved, the Emerging Civil War reports.
The Civil War Trust, a non profit organization, has kept over 40,000 acres of historical battlefields preserved, and is the largest organization of this type in America, having preserved land in nearly half of the country’s states.
Miaka 240 imepita tangu risasi ya kwanza ilipopigwa katika vita vya uhuru. Vita hivyo vilikuwa hatua muhimu katika mapambano ya Marekani ya kupata uhuru. "Kwa fahari kubwa na uzalendo, Civil War Trust imechagua Siku ya Wazee wa Vita kutangaza kwa kikundi cha watunzaji wa kihistoria na wanahistoria mpango mpya wa kuhifadhi maeneo ya vita ya vita muhimu katika historia ya Amerika. """ "James Lighthizer, rais wa Trust, alielezea kwamba ""Kampeni 1776,"" jina lililochaguliwa kwa mpango huu, litasaidia taifa kukumbuka na kuheshimu dhabihu zilizotolewa wakati wa vita hivi, ambavyo vilitokea miaka mingi kabla ya Vita vya wenyewe kwa wenyewe." The Civil War Trust imekuwa ikifanya kazi kwa karibu miaka 30 kuhakikisha ulinzi wa vita vya vita kutoka kwa Vita vya wenyewe kwa wenyewe kupitia kutumia ruzuku na michango. "Mkurugenzi wa Kamati ya Maendeleo ya Marekani, Michael Grainger, alisema: ""Kampeni ya 1776 itawezesha kuelewa vizuri zaidi mtazamo uliopanuliwa zaidi wa historia ya Marekani." Pamoja na kuhifadhi maeneo ya vita ya Vita vya Uhuru, mpango wa kampeni ya 1776 utajumuisha maeneo ya vita yaliyokuwa hatarini kutoka Vita vya 1812 wakati ambapo Marekani ilipata uhuru kutoka Uingereza. Kulingana na ripoti ya mwaka 2007 ya huduma ya Hifadhi ya Taifa, ni maeneo 100 tu kati ya 243 ya vita vya vita vya vita vya vita vya vita vya vita vya vita vya vita vya vita vya vita vya vita vya vita vya vita vya vita vya vita vya vita vya vita vya vita vya vita vya vita vya vita vya vita vya vita vya vita vya vita vya vita vya vita vya vita vya vita vya vita vya vita vya vita vya vita vya vita vya vita vya vita vya vita vya vita vya vita vya vita vya vita vya vita. Bila kuingilia kati, maeneo haya yaliyobaki yanaweza kupoteza uadilifu wao kama matokeo ya maendeleo ya ardhi ya baadaye, kama vile makazi. "Mkurugenzi wa Taasisi ya Mapinduzi ya Marekani ya Society of Cincinnati, Jack Warner, alielezea kwamba ""mengi ya maeneo haya ya mapigano yaliyopotea yameharibiwa na miji inayopanuka ya Philadelphia, Boston na New York.""" Anaamini kwamba Shirika la Vita vya Wenyewe kwa Wenyewe ni chaguo bora la kuhifadhi maeneo ya vita ambayo bado yapo. Lighthizer alieleza kwamba mradi wa kwanza wa kampeni ya 1776 ni kukusanya fedha ili kuhifadhi ekari 4.6 ambazo zinafanyiza uwanja wa vita wa Princeton. Mnamo Januari 3, 1777, George Washington, aliyekuwa jenerali wakati wa Vita vya Uhuru, aliwashinda askari wa Uingereza katika uwanja huu wa vita. Princeton Battlefield Society, Jimbo la New Jersey, na serikali za mitaa zitafanya kazi na Civil War Trust ili kutimiza hili. Ujenzi huo ni wa kwanza kufanywa katika uwanja wa Princeton tangu mwaka 1971. "Jerry Hurwitz, rais wa Princeton Battlefield Society, alisema: ""Utaalamu wa Trust kwa ajili ya kuhifadhi uwanja huu wa vita, si tu kuweka msingi wa kihistoria kudumishwa, lakini pia kuonyesha watu wa Marekani umuhimu wa kufanya hivyo." Liz Lempert, meya wa Princeton, na Richard Bournesian, na idara ya rasilimali za asili na kihistoria ya jimbo, wanawakilisha ushiriki wa serikali katika mradi wa Princeton, pamoja na mpango wa Green Acres unaofanywa na jimbo. Wanafurahi sana kuhusu fursa zitakazotolewa kwa kuhifadhi uwanja wa vita. "Kampeni ya 1776 ilianza wakati ""Mashirika ya Vita vya Wenyewe kwa Wenyewe"" yalipowasiliana na Huduma ya Hifadhi ya Kitaifa (NPS) kuuliza juu ya kupanua asili ya maeneo ya vita kuhifadhiwa ili kujumuisha wale kutoka Vita vya 1812 na Vita vya Mapinduzi." Baada ya kuzingatia athari yoyote mbaya ambayo upanuzi huu ungekuwa nayo kwa kazi ya sasa ya uhifadhi ambayo Trust ilikuwa ikifanya kazi, pamoja na faida za kulinda maeneo haya ya vita ya ziada kutoka kwa kuathiriwa, bodi ya Trust ilifanya kura. Washiriki wote walikubali kwamba maeneo hayo ya vita ya ziada yapaswa kuingizwa katika kazi ya kuhifadhi ya Trust. Baada ya kuamua hili, Trust ilishirikiana na NPS kuanzisha ramani ya Vita vya Mapinduzi kwa kutumia teknolojia ya GPS. Pia kulikuwa na fedha za ruzuku zilizotolewa kwa ajili ya kuhifadhi ardhi katika ngazi ya shirikisho. Mpango wa kuhifadhi uliwekwa mahali ili kuiga uwanja wa vita uliokuwa umejumuishwa hivi karibuni kwenye juhudi za sasa za kuhifadhi uwanja wa vita vya Vita vya wenyewe kwa wenyewe kwa msaada wa ripoti kutoka kwa Programu ya Ulinzi wa Uwanja wa Vita wa Amerika. Kwa wanachama wa Civil War Trust, ushiriki katika Kampeni ya 1776 ni hiari. Kwa wale ambao wamejiandikisha kufanya kazi kwenye kampeni ya 1776 sio lazima kuwa tayari wanachama wa Trust. "Msaada wa kampeni ya 1776 ni pamoja na kutoa fursa za elimu kwa umma kuhusu ""maeneo ya vita"" ya vita hivi, kama vile Trust sasa inatoa kuhusu wale kutoka Vita vya wenyewe kwa wenyewe." Civil War Trust inatoa wafadhili fursa ya kuchangia miradi maalum inayosaidiwa, na mara nyingi ni mpokeaji wa ruzuku ya serikali au shirikisho. Shirika hilo linanunua ardhi kutoka kwa wauzaji wanaojitolea ili kuhifadhi umuhimu wake wa kihistoria kama uwanja wa vita. "Kama ilivyoelezwa, kampuni hiyo inashirikiana na watengenezaji wa ujenzi ili kuhakikisha kwamba jamii zinaendelea kukua wakati wa kuweka ardhi ya kihistoria kuhifadhiwa, ""Mashirika ya Vita vya wenyewe kwa wenyewe ya Kuibuka"" ripoti." Civil War Trust, shirika lisilo la faida, limehifadhi zaidi ya ekari 40,000 za maeneo ya vita ya kihistoria, na ni shirika kubwa zaidi la aina hii nchini Marekani, baada ya kuhifadhi ardhi katika karibu nusu ya majimbo ya nchi.