Created 4-May-17
Modified 24-Sep-18
The last destination on our Spring Vacation was the Gettysburg National Military Park in PA. This is where the battle that became the turning point in the Civil War took place. It is also where Abraham Lincoln came to deliver the Gettysburg Address when he honored those who fought to preserve the Union and abolish slavery.
To visit here is an emotional experience for most people. In the Civil War soldiers were often fighting against members of their own family. To realize that this one battle resulted in 51,000 casualties is nothing less than mind bending.
At the center of this experience is the 360 degree cyclorama, a painting that puts you in the middle of the action. It brings alive the reality and significance of this moment in history.
For Pam and I, the site of the Battle of Gettysburg was a fitting end to our road trip. Our trip began in the deep South -- the heart of the slave trade. We toured Savannah, GA and Charleston, SC. We saw Fort Sumter, site of the first battle of the Civil War and made a pilgrimage to the African Methodist Episcopal Church where, only a few months ago, a white supremacist gunned down 9 black members. This was followed by a visit to Boone Plantation a working farm which documents the history of slavery in the United States. This can be an emotional experience for both black and white visitors. For me it was particularly cogent as my children are biracial and must deal with the repercussions of slavery even to the current day.
As I look back I feel fortunate that God led me to a very special church back in 1995. After being attracted to and joining the Free Christian Church in Andover, MA I found that it was the only church in the United States that was formed to combat slavery. It was an early participant in the Underground Railroad and required in its Charter that all members be Abolitionists.
On our way to Gettysburg we took the Blue Ridge Parkway which overlooks the Shenandoah Valley -- the very route taken by the Confederate Army on its way to Gettysburg.
The Civil War abolished slavery, but so much is left to be done to overcome the remnants of institutionalized racism. The Civil Rights Movement went a long way to advance Martin Luther King Jr's vision of a world where people would be valued by the quality of their character and not by the color of their skin. But the recent slaughter at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church demonstrates that we have a long way to go.
© Robert Peek Photography