“To Sustain the Union: Central Illinois in the Civil War.”

Abstract

Internet: museum information <http://www.mchistory.org> (Jan. 5, 2003). I had high expectations for this exhibition; the McLean County Museum of History has a well-deserved reputation for informative and entertaining exhibitions that place the history of central Illinois in a broader context. Unfortunately, although “ To Sustain the Union” is informative and sometimes entertaining, it ultimately presents a generic military-focused version of the Civil War, neglects the home front, and fails to discuss how soldiers from central Illinois were different than those from elsewhere. Although the museum's visitor's guide claims that “ To Sustain the Union” covers “every aspect of the war, from the soldiers' daily lives to the battles they fought, to the efforts of home,” this is primarily a military history exhibition, and the emphasis is clear even before visitors enter the exhibit hall. Outside the exhibit door a large panel asks each visitor to “muster in” (sign...