Harpers Ferry, Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad and Antietam Battlefield

We stopped in WVA for a few nights and decided to see a few additional national historical sites. Harpers Ferry is a multi-layered involving a diverse number of people and events that influenced the course of our nation's history. Harpers Ferry witnessed the first successful application of interchangeable parts, the arrival of the first successful American railroad, John Brown's attack on slavery, the largest surrender of federal troops during the civil war, and the education of former slaves in one of the earliest integrated schools in the U.S. Many believe that John Brown's attack was actually the start of the civil war. Chesapeake and Ohio Canal's construction began in 1828 and by the time construction ended in 1850 progress had left the canal behind and the canal was then obsolete. By 1850 new railroad technology had made great strides. The canal did serve a purpose until it closed in 1924 which was moving freight and passengers. Some of the canal is still in tact and much of the canal area is now used by hikers, campers, bicyclists, boaters and others.
Antietam's battle was the site of the bloodiest one day battle of the American Civil War. The Battle of Antietam (Sharpsburg, MD) took place on September 17, 1862 and had a lasting impact on reshaping the logistics of field medicine.
As seeing any battlefield and reading the history of this event, gives you a sense of what actually took place there. On the day that we visited there was a reenactment with much cannon fire. There was also a college professor who was currently writing a book on this battle who gave a detailed history concerning this memorable battle.