Public Servant, Preservationist
After serving 30 years in the U.S. House of Representatives, Manuel Lujan of New Mexico was named secretary of the interior by George H.W. Bush in 1989. In July 1990, during the 129th anniversary commemorations for the Battle of First Manassas, he responded to costly emergency preservation efforts at that field and the loss of other important historic landscapes by proposing the creation of a federal commission to study the status of Civil War battlefields. As part of this vision, the American Battlefield Protection Program was established within NPS in 1991, and the landmark “Report of the Civil War Sites Advisory Commission” was released in 1993.
Join t Fight
Donate today to preserve Civil War battlefields and the nation’s history for generations to come.
EXPLORE THE WARS
American Battlefield Trust Store
51,000
ACRES SAVED
The American Battlefield Trust and our members have saved more than 51,000 acres in 24 states!
SEE THE LAND WE'VE SAVED
Shop and Preserve
Show your pride in battlefield preservation by shopping in our store. Every purchase supports the mission.
Give with Confidence!
The Majority of our funds go directly to Preservation and Education.