The trust recently partnered with the North Carolina Department of Commerce and America 250 NC to place interactive kiosks highlighting the state’s vast array of historic sites into each of its official welcome centers.
American Battlefield Trust
In celebration of North Carolina’s rich history and America’s 250th birthday, the American Battlefield Trust has collaborated with the North Carolina Department of Commerce and America 250 NC to place interactive kiosks highlighting the Tar Heel State’s vast array of historic sites into each of the state’s official welcome centers.
The North Carolina History Explorer transports viewers to the sites, events, and stories that shaped the state’s early history through maps, photography, and other multimedia content. The first-of-its-kind kiosk was developed by the Trust alongside its longtime technology partner, Interactive Knowledge of Charlotte, North Carolina.
The Explorer is organized around three major eras of North Carolina’s early history: “Our Revolutionary Journey” (1771–1783) focuses on the state’s role in the Revolutionary Era, including the Regulator Movement and related political and social developments; “From Statehood to Secession” (1784–1861) covers North Carolina’s early years as a state through the antebellum period, highlighting political, economic and cultural changes that determined the path toward secession; and “A State Divided” (1861–1865) examines the state’s Civil War experience with military events, effects on the home front, and the human stories that defined the period.
Within each era, the Explorer presents sites, themes, and stories rooted in specific places, encouraging visitors to think deeply about the state’s history. It integrates content and draws connectivity from networks, including North Carolina State Historic Sites and Parks and National Park Service units and affiliates, plus the Trust’s Road to Freedom, which interprets African-American history, and the Medal of Honor Valor Trail.
We are grateful for this unique opportunity to share with residents and visitors the hundreds of opportunities across North Carolina for them to experience the power of place. It is our hope that as this collaboration flourishes, it enables us to pursue similar initiatives in other states with rich connections to our nation’s first century.
As the nation prepared to mark its 250th Independence Day, history lovers and preservationists were given another reason to celebrate: On the afternoon of July 2, QTS, the remaining developer petitioning the Virginia Supreme Court to hear its case for building a data center on the Manassas Battlefield, announced it had withdrawn its appeal. The years-long fight to halt the colossal data center complex adjacent to the national park was over.
The victory would not have been possible without many allies across the preservation community—and the support of thousands of Trust members who donated to the legal effort. Sadly, Manassas was not the only battlefield threatened; the Trust is also engaged in legal action to overturn a megadevelopment rezoning at The Wilderness.
David Duncan is president of the nonprofit, nonpartisan American Battlefield Trust, which is dedicated to preserving America’s hallowed battlegrounds—Revolutionary War, War of 1812, and Civil War—and educating the public about their significance.
