Texas Civil War Living History Institute
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WHO WE ARE
The Texas Civil War Living History Institute is an organization dedicated to improving America’s understanding of its Civil War through living history and reenactment. Our approach focuses on providing professional-grade, immersive living history experiences at historic sites and in communities around the region and across the nation. In this authentic historical environment, both our members and our audience gain a new appreciation for our nation’s defining conflict and its impact on our lives today. Our volunteer staff strives to provide a safe, exciting, and enriching program for our participants, as well as an historically accurate, immersive, and eye-opening experience for our audiences.
Our Founder: Collin Jefferson
Around the time of the 150th anniversary of the American Civil War, our founder and young leader in the reenactment community, Collin Jefferson, noted several issues surrounding the living history community and the nation's historical education. First, the reenactment community (which came of age in the 1960’s and 1970’s), was greatly in need of a new generation of enthusiasts, improved organization and training methods, and an update to its historical authenticity standards. Additionally, national events had exposed the fact that the public was greatly in need of of a deeper and more clear understanding of the War Between the States and its impact upon the present. These observations, combined with his love of the United States and all its people, inspired him to establish the Texas Civil War Living History Institute. The rest, you could say, is history.