Trading cards have been popular with children for generations, from images of sports figures to movie stars. Now, Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield is offering seven free trading cards, four of which feature different people whose lives were directly impacted by the battle of Wilson’s Creek on August 10, 1861. Additional cards are also available relating to various sites around the battlefield.
The cards, available at Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield, are part of a series of 550 cards available at participating national parks throughout the United States. To “earn” a trading card, children may participate in a ranger-led tour or answer a question about their visit to the park.
The trading cards are vehicles for telling some ‘lesser-known’ stories – including the stories of civilians, women, African-Americans and American Indians. The trading cards are a great way to engage everyone with our history as a nation and also provide an incentive to families with children to visit all parks which offer the cards.
Each trading card tells a little-known story but collectively the cards describe the struggles we have endured as a nation to strive for freedom and equality. The Civil War Sesquicentennial and the 50th Anniversary of the Civil Rights Movement provide opportunities for us to reflect upon our past, celebrate the strides we have made and look forward with commitment to achieve a more perfect union.
