Blue Ridge PBS recently mailed nearly 2,000 DVD’s of “Virginia in the Civil War: A Sesquicentennial Remembrance” to every public school and library system in the Commonwealth. The new three-hour documentary, designed for use in the classroom, was produced by Blue Ridge PBS in partnership with the Virginia Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission and the Virginia Tech Center for Civil War Studies. The DVD’s were provided without charge, along with a 15-page teachers’ guide.
“Virginia in the Civil War,” featuring Virginia Tech historians James I. “Bud” Robertson, Jr. and William C. “Jack” Davis, was produced as part of the state’s commemoration of the Civil War sesquicentennial. Nearly two years in the making, the documentary covers the coming of the war, slavery, military campaigns, leading personalities of the war years, challenges on the home front, the common soldiers, and legacies of the war. The documentary was produced in high definition and chaptered into nine 20-minute segments.
Virginia was a pivotal state in the Civil War. As the mother state of the Union, it was a reluctant addition to the Confederate States of America. Over 60 percent of the battles in the four-year Civil War were fought in Virginia. The Old Dominion suffered more damage in that period than any other area in the western hemisphere. “Virginia in the Civil War” concentrates on Virginia’s contributions, its sacrifices, and the gallantry displayed by citizens at all levels during this nation-molding struggle.
“PBS is known for exceptional educational programming that is also entertaining,” said James Baum, Blue Ridge PBS President and CEO. “This Civil War documentary is a wonderful example of how we can address educational and historical needs at the local, regional and even the state level.”
“Virginia in the Civil War” has already generated broad interest with the National Endowment for the Humanities recently requesting a DVD copy. Blue Ridge PBS will broadcast a one-hour version of the documentary on Dec. 1 at 7 p.m. during its Winter Festival.
Robertson, an Alumni Distinguished Professor of history at Virginia Tech and executive director of the Virginia Center for Civil War Studies, served as executive producer for the longer documentary and co-wrote the script with Davis, director of programs for the center.
