Central High School’s Jessica Watson and her 5th through 8th grade Summer Scholars students visited both Nathan Bedford Forrest State Park and Fort Pillow State Historic Park this summer, thanks to a grant from the American Battlefield Trust’s History Field Trip Grant Program. These trips provided students with exceptional, hands-on historical learning experiences. Grants are awarded based on a competitive national application process, reflecting Mrs. Watson’s dedication to academic excellence and enriching classroom instruction through real-world exploration.
“Giving our students the chance to walk the ground where history happened brought their learning to life,” said Watson. “Through these trips, our students grew their understanding of Tennessee history, the Civil War, and what it means to be engaged citizens. We’re grateful to the American Battlefield Trust for helping us bring history off the page and into the world.”
Nathan Bedford Forrest State Park, located on the Tennessee River in Benton County, includes historical exhibits, Civil War earthworks, and a museum commemorating the park’s namesake. During their visit, students participated in a creek stomp, explored the park’s museum, encountered local wildlife, and deepened their understanding of Civil War history.
At Fort Pillow State Historic Park, students explored the preserved site of the 1864 Battle of Fort Pillow, where Confederate forces launched a controversial attack on a Union fort held largely by African American troops. The students learned about the strategic importance of the Mississippi River during the Civil War and examined the implications of the battle in the broader context of race, memory, and military history. They toured the fort’s reconstructed earthworks, visited the interpretive museum, and engaged in discussions that encouraged critical thinking about historical narratives.
The American Battlefield Trust is the largest battlefield land preservation organization in the country, having saved more than 58,000 acres of hallowed ground across 24 states. Through visiting preserved battlefields and walking in the footsteps of the citizen soldiers who fought there, the Trust aims to provide a foundation of good citizenship for the leaders of tomorrow. The Trust strives to produce excellent educational resources in a variety of formats for both educators and the public alike, ensuring that Americans never forget how their country was forged.
Every year, the Trust receives applications from classrooms across the country to participate in the History Field Trip Grant Program, which offers funding and assistance to K–12 teachers planning field trips to Civil War, War of 1812, or Revolutionary War battlefields and related historic sites. During the 2022–2023 school year, more than 10,000 students from 33 states took part.
“These kids get a chance to go to where history was made, where our country was created and defined,” said Trust President David Duncan of the History Field Trip Grant Program recipients. “Battlefields are outdoor classrooms that will teach future Americans about our democratic republic.”
Jessica Watson has enormous enthusiasm for teaching history and was excited to utilize both Nathan Bedford Forrest and Fort Pillow as outdoor classrooms that gave her students meaningful and memorable experiences. The American Battlefield Trust is proud to support and empower such excellent educators as they inspire the next generation of proud Americans.
The American Battlefield Trust is dedicated to preserving America’s hallowed battlegrounds and educating the public about what happened there and why it matters today. The nonprofit, nonpartisan organization has protected more than 60,000 acres associated with the Revolutionary War, War of 1812 and Civil War. Learn more at www.battlefields.org.
