The National Park Service's (NPS) American Battlefield Protection Program (ABPP) recently awarded $489,200 in grants to six projects.
The Battlefield Interpretation Grants "will enhance visitor experiences at more than two dozen battlefields from Massachusetts to Georgia," according to an NPS news release.
"Harnessing the history of our nation's sites of armed conflict through dynamic interpretation can lead to greater understanding of our shared past," Chuck Sams, director of the NPS, said in the news release. "The National Park Service is proud to support public partnerships which support inclusive community engagement that honors and preserves the past to realize our shared ideals."
The grant program will fund projects at eligible American Revolution, War of 1812, and Civil War battlefields, the news release noted. It will also fund projects at associated sites "that use technology to engage audiences, expand accessibility, and promote understanding of our collective history." These awards came from the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which "reinvests revenue from offshore oil and natural gas leasing to help strengthen conservation and recreation opportunities across the nation." The grants will be used to modernize and enhance the interpretation of difficult parts of U.S. history.
The ABPP also administered three other grants: Battlefield Land Acquisition, Preservation Planning, and Battlefield Restoration grants.
For example, the grant to the Anacostia Trails Heritage Area will create an interpretive plan for the Battle of Bladensburg that occurred during the War of 1812. The funds will be used to "create a plan to engage visitors of Bladensburg's urban, waterfront landscape with this critical moment in the War of 1812," according to another NPS news release. The project will be as accessible as possible to all people while maintaining the historical information that links Americans to our shared history. With the help of augmented reality technology, the project will show the difference between the landscape of the area in the 1800s versus its modern, urban landscape.
