A short film based largely on letters and diaries of people who lived in the city during the war explores the divergent experiences of slaves and the white population in Fredericksburg during the Civil War.Virginians Desolate, Virginians Free is a 30-minute movie made by the National Park Service and filmed entirely in Fredericksburg.
“The default history of Fredericksburg is the experience of the white population. Literally half the population here had a very different experience and view,” said the script’s writer, John Hennessy, who is chief historian for Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military Park.
