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Cover image of Travels through American History in the Mid-Atlantic
Cover image of Travels through American History in the Mid-Atlantic
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Travels through American History in the Mid-Atlantic

A Guide for All Ages

Charles W. Mitchell
with maps by Elizabeth Church Mitchell

Publication Date
Binding Type

Explore the historic landscape of the mid-Atlantic with this family-friendly guide.

Winner of the SATW Category 119: Guidebook Gold Winner of the Society of American Travel Writers Foundation

Few regions of the United States boast as many historically significant sites as the mid-Atlantic. Travels through American History in the Mid-Atlantic brings to life sixteen easily accessible historical destinations in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Washington, D.C., the Potomac Valley, and Virginia.

Charles W. Mitchell walked these sites, interviewed historians and rangers, and read the letters and diaries of...

Explore the historic landscape of the mid-Atlantic with this family-friendly guide.

Winner of the SATW Category 119: Guidebook Gold Winner of the Society of American Travel Writers Foundation

Few regions of the United States boast as many historically significant sites as the mid-Atlantic. Travels through American History in the Mid-Atlantic brings to life sixteen easily accessible historical destinations in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Washington, D.C., the Potomac Valley, and Virginia.

Charles W. Mitchell walked these sites, interviewed historians and rangers, and read the letters and diaries of the men and women who witnessed—and at times made—history. He reveals in vivid prose the ways in which war, terrain, weather, and illness have shaped the American narrative. Each attraction, reenactment, and interactive exhibit in the book is described through the lens of the American experience, beginning in the colonial and revolutionary eras, continuing through the War of 1812, and ending with the Civil War. Mitchell contrasts the ornate decor of Philadelphia's Independence Hall, for example, with the passionate debates that led to the Declaration of Independence, and the tranquil beauty of today's Harpers Ferry with the trauma its citizens endured during the Civil War, when the town six times fell to opposing forces.

Excerpts from eyewitness accounts further humanize key moments in the national story. Hand-drawn maps evoke the historical era by depicting the natural features that so often affected the course of events.

This engaging blend of history and travel will appeal to visiting tourists, area residents seeking weekend diversions, history buffs, and armchair travelers.

Reviews

Reviews

An excellent travel companion for the amateur historian... Mitchell's book is a helpful and informative alternative to the standard travel guide.

Mitchell combines a regional travel guide with direct quotations, immediate revelations, and stories that illuminate the deeper historical context of each selected site. He has sought out engaging reenactments and the best exhibits, where remarkable artifacts and excellent displays bring history alive. This is more than sightseeing.

About

Book Details

Publication Date
Status
Available
Trim Size
6
x
9
Pages
224
ISBN
9781421415147
Illustration Description
23 maps
Table of Contents

Preface
Acknowledgments
1. Jamestown, Williamsburg, and Yorktown
2. St. Mary's City
3. Fort Frederick
4. Independence National Historical Park
5. Valley Forge
6. Fort McHenry and the Star-Spangled Banner

Preface
Acknowledgments
1. Jamestown, Williamsburg, and Yorktown
2. St. Mary's City
3. Fort Frederick
4. Independence National Historical Park
5. Valley Forge
6. Fort McHenry and the Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail
7. The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum
8. The Chesapeake & Ohio Canal
9. Harpers Ferry
10. Civil War Richmond
11. Antietam
12. Civil War Washington
13. Gettysburg
14. Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, the Wilderness, and Spotsylvania
15. Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park
16. Petersburg and the Road to Appomattox
Side Trips
Index

Author Bios
Featured Contributor

Charles W. Mitchell

Charles W. Mitchell, a Marylander by birth and by choice, is a writer descended from a congressman, a pirate, and two Confederate officers who appear in the pages of this book. The ancestors of his wife, Betsy, include eleven Union soldiers, Pennsylvanians all. Charley and Betsy, and their two children, Abbie and Alec, live in Lutherville, Maryland.
Featured Contributor

Elizabeth Church Mitchell

Elizabeth Church Mitchell lives in an eighteenth-century stone farmhouse in Parkton, Maryland with her husband Charles W. Mitchell.