Expanding Access – 2022 Battlefield Interpretation Grant Year in Review

Bladensburg Waterfront Park, where ATHA will plan battlefield interpretation strategies through a 2022 NPS ABPP Battlefield Interpretation Grant.

Sarah Fritz | Anacostia Trails Heritage Area

In 2022, the Director of the National Park Service, Chuck Sams III, laid out seven priorities to guide the NPS commitment to preserving and protecting natural and cultural landscapes across America. Every year, the NPS American Battlefield Protection Program (ABPP) strives to achieve these priorities through our grant programs. These priorities were used to frame our reflection of Program accomplishments in 2022 and in consideration of areas for improvement.

Director’s Priority: Advance equity, inclusion, and access in carrying out the NPS mission.

In 2022, NPS ABPP worked to implement the Director’s priority by continuing to support our preservation partners in their efforts to provide equitable and inclusive access to nationally significant battlefields and sites of armed conflict across the nation. Through the NPS ABPP’s Battlefield Interpretation Grant, nearly half a million dollars was awarded to fund 6 projects across 11 states to interpret historical narratives of the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, and the Civil War that highlight a diverse array of viewpoints and experiences. Many of these projects are working to incorporate a more equitable context of battlefield narratives by including a broad range of voices, expanding visitor access to historical narratives traditionally restricted by geography, and inclusively engaging diverse stakeholders and local communities.

Nearly half of the total grant funds awarded in 2022 went to two projects by the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation, which are working to expand equitable representation in the narrative of the Shenandoah Valley’s Civil War experience. The Foundation’s Heritage Trail Project aims to connect contemporary visitors with the landscapes and expansive histories of the valley’s African American communities by installing over 50 informational signs and panels across eight counties in the region. Additionally, the Foundation’s "One Story, a Thousand Voices” Museum Exhibit Project in Winchester’s historic courtroom is also providing a publicly accessible platform for the retelling of Civil War narratives from underrepresented groups that witnessed and were affected by the war, including women and civilians.

Approximately $50,000 were also awarded to local governments and preservation organizations who will inclusively engage community groups with diverse perspectives and backgrounds to shape project outcomes. Saratoga County is developing a Commemoration Plan for the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Saratoga which will prioritize the participation of individuals of varying cultural backgrounds, local historians, and interdisciplinary subject matter experts. Another grant awarded to Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, supports the creation of a Web Portal which will host digital archives and artifact records related to the Battle of Lake Champlain. The project will partner with a local Tribe to ensure the final product is representative of the complex history of the Revolutionary War and includes Indigenous perspectives.

In 2022, 44% of total grant funds were awarded to two projects that are working to create a geographically accessible experience in locations where the interpretation of these conflicts doesn’t traditionally occur. The Anacostia Trails Heritage Area (ATHA) is creating a Plan to interpret the War of 1812’s Battle of Bladensburg in a multifunctional, urban environment where history and contemporary community life form a dynamic cultural landscape. ATHA aims to integrate the 1814 history into the community’s everyday experience by planning interpretive strategies along a multi-use river trail that will accommodate both English and Spanish speakers who constitute a high percentage of the local community. Additionally, the American Battlefield Trust will use awarded funds to create a Traveling Exhibit that brings the history of the Revolutionary War to sites and populations outside of the nation’s eastern seaboard. To ensure access to this history isn’t limited by geographic or financial capacity, the Trust is concentrating the exhibit to tour local museums and civic centers in the Northwest, Midwest, and Southwest.

As we look back at all the battlefield interpretation efforts achieved in 2022, NPS ABPP applauds our preservation partners for their pursuit of more inclusive, equitable, and accessible experiences and narratives of our nation’s history at sites of armed conflict. As the Program continues into a new year, we encourage a continued commitment to diverse storytelling and place-based historical interpretation to foster a greater understanding of our shared past.

Check out a summary of all the Battlefield Interpretation Grants awarded in 2022, here!