With Good Reason

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During the Civil War, the residents Winchester witnessed some of the bloodiest battles for control of the Shenandoah Valley and suffered under Union occupation. Jonathan Noyalas (Lord Fairfax Community College) tells how the return of Union veterans to the Valley in 1883 sparked a spirit of reconciliation between former enemies.

Also: Spencer Crew (George Mason University) looks back at the Underground Railroad and makes a connection to activism in the modern world.

And James Robertson (Virginia Tech) lists many of today’s modern conveniences that have their origin in the Civil War.

Want to dig deeper? Explore Encyclopedia Virginia:

Winchester during the Civil War

Shenandoah Valley during the Civil War

Shenandoah Valley Campaign of 1862

The Lost Cause

American Civil War in Virginia