A drop in interest yet?

major bill

Brev. Brig. Gen'l
Forum Host
Joined
Aug 25, 2012
Some people predicted a drop in interest about the Civil War after the 150th calibrations. Has anyone seen a drop in the number of people reenacting or the crowds attending reenactments? It is hard to predict if a big decrease is coming or not. I do not reenact and have only been to a couple of small event so can not well judge if interest is decreasing.
 
I think there may be a slight decrease but not by much. I also figure that the folks who only doing it around the 150ths are probably not the best quality folks in terms of authenticity so it isn't much of a loss. I know there are still just as many "hardcore" or "campaigner" events now as ever.
 
I think that the challenge is not that interest in CW has decreased following the 150th, but that it did not increase as much as expected due to the economy during that time. While there may have been some increase there was not the expected advertising, travel and visitors that many had expected. Now that the 150th is over things are staying steady which is not a good thing since it was hoped that there would be an increase during the 150th and that some of those would remain.

The challenge is not so much how to keep the people we have in the community, but how to attract younger participants for future generations. To me it seems that the age of the reenactors is growing older. The average age of a soldier during the CW was about 17-18 I would guess that the average age of reenactors is 40-45. That is a problem. Here are some other web pages discussing the problem.

Some Notes on New Millennium Reenacting

Just wondering why?

Civil War re-enactors feel the thrill of battle with fewer casualties
 
I think that the challenge is not that interest in CW has decreased following the 150th, but that it did not increase as much as expected due to the economy during that time. While there may have been some increase there was not the expected advertising, travel and visitors that many had expected. Now that the 150th is over things are staying steady which is not a good thing since it was hoped that there would be an increase during the 150th and that some of those would remain.

The challenge is not so much how to keep the people we have in the community, but how to attract younger participants for future generations. To me it seems that the age of the reenactors is growing older. The average age of a soldier during the CW was about 17-18 I would guess that the average age of reenactors is 40-45. That is a problem. Here are some other web pages discussing the problem.

Some Notes on New Millennium Reenacting

Just wondering why?

Civil War re-enactors feel the thrill of battle with fewer casualties

"I havent put on a uniform in over a decade and I am trying to remedy that by getting back into it in the Memphis area."
 
I think there may be a slight decrease but not by much. I also figure that the folks who only doing it around the 150ths are probably not the best quality folks in terms of authenticity so it isn't much of a loss. I know there are still just as many "hardcore" or "campaigner" events now as ever.

Good to know bout the hardcore and/or campaigner events. I'm fired up!
 
I also sit here and question what number is a good number at events? What is a baseline number for local, state and national events, and then compare numbers. There has to be some record of this already being done. Wouldn't you think?
 
The average age of a soldier during the CW was about 17-18 I would guess that the average age of reenactors is 40-45.
The average age was not 17-18. This should be rather obvious with most soldiers being in the 20ties.

The average Union soldier was 25.8 years old according to:
http://www.civilwar.org/education/history/faq/?referrer=https://www.google.dk/


About the numbers.
When one look at the very negativ economic development for 90% of the american population during the last 15 years it is not surprising that a hobby that is not cheap have lost people.
 
During the 125th anniversary cycle there was a great deal more media coverage and interest generated during that time... The Reenactment ranks saw a considerable surge in new numbers and participation... The 150th cycle did not have the same level of national interest if any at all for many events... Less educational focus on history as well as the negative effects of the economy... The 150th did not see the growth as it had experienced in previous cycles.

The 150th, just like the 125th folks speculated an across the board near collapse of the hobby as people vacated the ranks.. In both cases the numbers "retiring" were marginal... Which seemed to begin its usual venue after 150th Gettysburg this time around rather than Appomattox as it has in the past... By the time the cycle concluded... majority of those that were planning to retire already had... So the massive predicted sudden vacuum at the end didn't really happen... Many folks did indeed take a break from the hobby... but most didn't actually leave it.... this usually takes 6-12 months for the participation levels to creep back up to normal again...

The mega events that were witnessed during the cycle are also mostly gone... being replaced with a wide array of smaller events and programs in mass... The usual offering of annual carnival events will probably always be out there.... But many folks are seeking something fresh, different, interesting, and for better quality events... At many events in the last number of months has habitually seen a bit less participation numbers... moreso because the number of events being offered has saturated the calendar... thinning the available numbers across pleura of events, rather than less participants overall...

Ive seen many of the mainstream groups reporting to have taken the biggest hit on numbers and participation for whatever assorted range of reasons... Some better than others... Interestingly the campaigner ranks continue to have grown... Also of observation is that many of the younger crowd that have entered the hobby tend to be more interested in and have joined the campaigner forte... where the average age in the rank and file tend to be closer or same as themselves.... I frequently see near whole companies of guys in the 17-20 year old range.... Some groups only participate in the same ole 4-5 carnival events year after year, that are exactly the same cowboy shoot-em up, powder burners... Many folks quickly get bored with it.. and fewer attracted to a unit if that's all they ever do... Sit around the campfire and complain of the lower participant numbers... One has to continue to actively recruit and change up the schedule to keep things interesting... Other groups build and host different offerings and events each year... and do quite well doing that... The hobby is ever evolving... need to recognize what works... and make note of what doesn't anymore... and adjust to flow with the current...
Just an opinion and observation.....
 
Hartford City Ind. the middle of May is a tough call. This was my first time there, I went with a buddy as kinda scouts for our unit. I guess there was maybe a total of 400 reenactors there. about 150 per side, with 20 cannon and mortars total which I am guessing totaled 100. Bad weather might have been the cause: cold and windy, but also first time Hartford City was in the spring it's usually in the fall. This event pushes itself as the largest event in Ind.
Memorial weekend's event in Coldwater Michigan. The count was horrendous 40-50 confederates as compared to 12-16 Yankees. 12-14 cannons total, evenly divided. A few of us Confederates had to go Yankee to make things appear in a better light. A few years ago there were about 50-50 each side, this year my way of thinking is strange the way things are here in a Yankee state, that more Confederates are coming out than Yankees.
This coming weekend is an event our unit sponsors so I will post on this afterwards. It's Turkeyville, just north of Marshall Mi. off of I69. We hope to gather in people from Ind., Mi., and Ohio.
 
As close to the same number as were originally at the specific battle/ part of a battle being reenacted! All with authentic kit, personas, &c. (of course!)

I'd like to see it that way too! However, is that realistic? Realistically what are event commanders expecting in terms of numbers at events these days? Trying to see what condition the community is in now that I been inactive for ten plus years.
 
I would venture to guess that reenactors will always be older than the average CW soldier. Most 25 year old males (since that is mostly who we are talking about) and females are busy trying to pursue a job, do well at the job, chase a love life and figure out how to juggle it all. The older person sorta has it figured out and can manage time better and has more disposable income.

I can remember at the Gettysburg 150, I got stopped and asked to come to a recruiting meeting. It made me think about it, but I'm still a few years away from it and I am 36.

And I would think this forum is almost a good survey of those who have interest in the CW. Taking a stab here, but I would think most on here didn't get interested until after their 20s, but maybe I am wrong.
 
I didn't get interested until I was 44. I wish it had happened when I was younger and fit one of those uniforms a little better!
 
IMHO, interest and participation seemed to peak at the 140th events. It seems it has fallen off in the subsequent years. I think the Recession has a large share of the blame, reenacting is not a cheap hobby and many folks had little disposable income. And now we have the advent of Playstation, Oui, and X-box which seems to occupy the younger generation to a large degree. There is not as much interest in our hobby, except us old-timers.
 
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Hers the way I see participation in reenacting. As a Teenager its something thats fun and can learn a bit of history. Early 20's it's off to College, or marriage and starting a job so they drop out. In the early 30's they work until they kinda sorta get organized, housing situation solved the kids are no longer in diapers they come to events to scope things out, the family can now take vacations together since the kids are older. The early 40's the male kids are teenagers and dad can sometime coerce them to come out and try it, and some families use it as camping/history fun weekends, the family is getting financially sound. In the late 40's and early 50's kids are grown and mom and dad have more free time, and wants to try to get out there and have fun while he still can and hang with other people his own age with the same interest. A lot of the trips have become solo trips for dad (goes to events on his own). Late 50's early 60's, dad gets tired of going away from home on his own and it takes longer to recover from the grueling weekends and drives and start to think it's time to quit and starts selling off his stuff(see it all on Ebay) and decides to QUIT. Mid 60's on goes to events and places with the growing grandkids as a spectator.
Thats the way I see it anyway.
The unit I belong to we have 4 retirees, 2 in their 50's with bad knees and had surgery this past winter, and may have to take an early retirement because of disability. 1 in his early 50's pasted on last Dec.. 1 in his late 40's that has 2 operation on the same knee and may be going back for a 3rd. 1 in his 50's with decent health, and 2 in their 20's and a few others. And we are one of just a few confederate units in Michigan. We still take the field, but don't ask us to do drill, you get us for one or the other. If we all can make it to a event we can probably make up to 20-25 man unit. We also have many tag alongs. that where their unit can't make it they join up with us. I think we had a 40 man unit for the 150th Gettysburg.
 
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