Join the Heart of the Civil War Heritage Area in “Bells Across the Land: A Nation Remembers Appomattox” on April 9
Frederick, MD (PRWEB) March 10, 2015 -- The Heart of the Civil War Heritage Area (HCWHA), a certified heritage area encompassing parts of Carroll, Frederick and Washington counties, invites churches, schools, government units, fire halls, and historic sites across the Heritage Area to participate in “Bells Across the Land: A Nation Remembers Appomattox.”
This commemorative bell ringing, led by the National Park Service, will mark the 150th anniversary of Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s surrender at Appomattox Court House, Virginia—which ultimately led to the end the American Civil War. Bells will toll across the nation at 3:15 PM on Thursday, April 9, for four minutes (each minute symbolic of a year of war). Participants will ring bells to mark the end of the bloody conflict in which more than 750,000 Americans perished. Some communities may ring their bells in celebration of freedom or a restored Union, others as an expression of mourning and a moment of silence for the fallen. Sites may ring bells to mark the beginning of reconciliation and Reconstruction, or as the next step in the continuing struggle for civil rights. Curriculum
materials are available for schools interested in participating.
The April 9 ceremony will kick off other end-of-war commemorations across the Heritage Area. In Frederick, bestselling author James Swanson will speak at City Hall followed by a memorial illumination on the evening of April 10. The annual Bell and History Day on April 11 will include 150th anniversary programming at museums across Frederick County. On May 2-3, the Carroll County Farm Museum’s annual living history reenactment will examine the theme of “Homecoming – Soldiers Return From War” and a special exhibit at the Historical Society of Carroll County will explore Civil War veterans and the Civil War in memory. Programming as part of the Washington County Museum Ramble, held every weekend throughout May, will also touch upon this sesquicentennial anniversary. See a calendar of events at heartofthecivilwar.org.
Registration is not required to participate in the bell ringing. To learn more about this historic commemoration, see http://www.visitfrederick.org/civil-war-150th or contact the Heart of the Civil War Heritage Area at info(at)heartofthecivilwar(dot)org or (301) 600-4031. Use the hashtag #BellsAcrosstheLand15 for social media.
Elizabeth Shatto, Heart of the Civil War, http://www.heartofthecivilwar.org, 301-600-4042, [email protected]
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