History & Culture

 

 

History & Culture

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The Great Valley of Virginia

The Shenandoah Valley has a long and rich cultural heritage, from Native Americans who first shaped the land, to pioneers of this frontier; this fertile area became one of the most important wheat producing regions of the entire South. The Valley also witnessed some of the most dramatic events of the Civil War, including the Battle of Cedar Creek, a decisive October 19,1864 Federal victory.

NPS Studies & Reports

• Broomall JJ. 2020. 'The Stars Fought from Heaven': Race and Slavery in the Shenandoah Valley from Early Settlement to Jim Crow. National Park Service (PDF file)

• Koons KE and Noyalas J. 2010. Historic Resource Study: Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park (PDF file)

 

 

 

 

Featured History & Culture

An Incomplete Narrative African Americans in the Valley

Books About the Park & the Valley Suggested Reading

Major Theater of War Civil War Comes

A National Trust Historic Site Belle Grove Plantation