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U.S. Civil War Reenactors

The U.S. Civil War (1861-1865) resulted in more casualties than all other conflicts, including World War 2 combined. Reenacting the American Civil War began even before the actual fighting had ended. American Civil War veterans recreated battles as a way to remember their fallen comrades and to teach others what the war was all about - the first form of living history. Modern reenacting is thought to have begun during the 1961-1965 American Civil War Centennial commemorations. Reenacting grew in popularity during the 1980s and 1990s, primarily due to the success of the 125th Anniversary reenactment near the original Manassas battlefield, which more than 6,000 reenactors attended. That year, Time magazine estimated there were more than 50,000 reenactors in the U.S. In 1998, the 135th-anniversary reenactment of the Battle of Gettysburg occurred near the original battlefield. There have been several estimates of the number of participants. Still, it is widely agreed that it was the largest reenactment ever held anywhere in the world, with between 15,000 and 20,000 reenactors participating. About 50,000 spectators watched this event. (Photo by George Wilson/NurPhoto)

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