“Harlots and Hooligans” – Ranger-led tours will explore sordid stories of Civil War Richmond
Every city block in Richmond has a story to tell, and not all are particularly wholesome. Drunken debauchery. Prostitution. Daylight shoot-outs. Riots. Murders. While none of these things were entirely foreign to Richmond prior to the Civil War, wartime conditions amplified the problems of crime and vice. On Saturday, September 21, park rangers from Richmond National Battlefield Park will lead three tours through the streets of Richmond exploring the Civil War’s darker impacts on the city.
Over the course of the war, the city’s population nearly tripled and the flood of incoming refugees, soldiers, con artists, spies, and other assorted characters rapidly transformed the small city into a bustling metropolis, sowing seeds of tension and suspicion amongst native Richmonders and their increasingly diversifying community.
During the free tours, rangers will explore how Richmond adapted to the immense growing pains of becoming a major urban hub, how the Civil War dramatically changed the social culture of the Confederate capital, and how residents—wealthy and poor, male and female, black and white—sought to adapt to and survive within a dynamic war-time city. While each tour will follow a different route through the city, all of them will lead visitors through some of the most historically sordid neighborhoods of the capital city.
What: Ranger-led tours: “Harlots and Hooligans: The Sordid Underworld of a City at War”
When: Saturday, September 21, 2013
Tour details:
10:00am: Tour begins at 7th and Cary Streets
12:30pm: Tour begins at the 17th Street Market.
3:00pm: Tour begins at Capitol Square.
Fee: Free
Due to the mature nature of the tour content, this program may not be suitable for young children. All three tours will run approximately two hours and may cover up to two miles of walking. Participants should bring water, sunscreen, and wear good walking shoes.
Richmond National Battlefield Park is one of 401 national parks across the United States. Experiencing the park’s 13 historic sites and five visitor centers usually takes a full day. A driving tour of the battlefields is available at any of the park’s facilities. The main park visitor center is located at Historic Tredegar (470 Tredegar Street in Richmond) and provides museum exhibits, audio-visual programs and orientation services to help plan a visit to the battlefields. For additional information, contact the park at 804-226-1981, or via the internet at www.nps.gov/rich or www.Facebook.com/RichmondNPS.
Contact: Elizabeth Stern — 804-226-5023
Date: September 12, 2013 – For Immediate Release
