Memorialization of Forgotten Steps: Native American Participation in the American Civil War

Abstract

Of all the actors in the American Civil War, marginalized groups have been vastly underrepresented on the commemorative landscape. Cherokee soldiers were among the minorities who contributed to both the Union and the Confederacy, and up to the present time, there has not been a completed study which surveys the extent of that participation and how it is interpreted to the public. It is important to present history as a complete narrative, and a detailed list of these significant sites can only benefit that endeavor. Spatial technologies also provide new tools to employ within public history, allowing increased access of the story to a wider audience. This thesis will therefore act as a preliminary survey and filling a gap in nineteenth century historiography by incorporating memorials, historical markers, and other interpretive materials on the commemorative landscape into an interactive geographic information system.