ECW Honors Eric Jacobson with Emerging Civil War Award for Service in Civil War Public History

Emerging Civil War is recognizing Eric Jacobson, Chief Executive Officer of the Battle of Franklin Trust, as the recipient of the 2025 Emerging Civil War Award for Service in Civil War Public History.

The award recognizes the work of an individual or organization that has made a significant impact on the field of Civil War public history in a way that helps the general public better connect with America’s defining event.

“The reclamation of the Franklin battlefield is one of the greatest success stories of the modern preservation movement. We would not have that reconstructed battlefield if it was not for Eric,” says ECW Editor-in-Chief Chris Mackowski. “Many, many people have contributed money, time, and effort over two decades to reclaim that battlefield and bring it back to life, but it’s been Eric’s vision and tireless work that have driven those efforts.”

The battle of Franklin, Tennessee, took place on November 30, 1864, as part of Confederate Gen. John Bell Hood’s Nashville Campaign. The battle resulted in approximately 10,000 casualties, about three-quarters of whom were Confederates, including six Confederate generals.

Jacobson has been studying the American Civil War for nearly 35 years. A Minnesota native, Eric lived in Arizona for over a decade, then relocated to middle Tennessee in 2005. In 2009, the Battle of Franklin Trust was created to bring together the two historic sites most impacted by the battle of Franklin, the Carter House and Carnton Plantation. The Trust then began to serve as a spearhead for preservation efforts focused on the battlefield. Long considered “lost,” advocates have slowly stitched the Franklin battlefield back together. Nearly 200 acres, at a cost of nearly $30 million, have been reclaimed and reinterpreted, and a new visitor center is now under construction at the Carter House.

“There is no one who has devoted more time, energy, and personal capital to saving what was once considered the ‘lost battlefield’ of Franklin” says ECW Contributor Joe Ricci, who formerly worked with Jacobson as the historian at the Battle of Franklin Trust. “Others have talked, several have started projects, but none of them have ever finished the race quite like Eric has. The battlefield that we, the public, and future generations can and will visit is a testament to his tireless dedication and vision. He would never admit it, but without him and his guiding hand and leadership, none of this would ever have happened.”

In 2021, the Trust also began management of Rippa Villa in Spring Hill, a building and community also deeply impacted by the Franklin campaign. More than 100,000 visitors annually visit Rippa Villa, the Carter House, and Carnton, with an economic impact of up to $35 million dollars to middle Tennessee.

Jacobson is the author of For Cause & For Country: A Study of the Affair at Spring Hill and the Battle of Franklin, a project that encompassed nearly 10 years. The book was published in March 2006 and is considered by some to be one of the most important books ever written about the 1864 Tennessee Campaign.

Jacobson’s second book, The McGavock Confederate Cemetery, was published in April 2007. His third book, Baptism of Fire, which details the roles of three Federal regiments at the battle of Franklin, was released in September 2011. He is currently working on his fourth book.

Jacobson resides in rural Maury County, Tennessee, with his wife, Nancy.

The mission of The Battle of Franklin Trust is to preserve, understand, and interpret the story of a people forever impacted by the American Civil War. As the 501(c) (3) corporation that manages three historic sites in middle Tennessee—Carter House, Carnton, and Rippa Villa—the Trust’s begins its interpretation with the founders of America and their audacious experiment in liberty.

It examines challenges to that experiment in the nineteenth century that propelled us toward war, and the three constitutional amendments that followed. Finally, it traces the evolution of liberty into the twenty-first century and confronts the challenges still facing us today. Tours and exhibitions continually evolve to reflect recent research, tackling crucial topics such as slavery and the enslaved, Reconstruction, and life in post-war America.

Past recipients of the Emerging Civil War Award for Service in Civil War Public History include Gordon Jones; Civil War Trails, Inc,: The American Battlefield Trust; Dr. Gary Gallagher; Dave Ruth, former superintendent at Richmond National Battlefield; John Coski, former historian at the American Civil War Museum; the late D. P. Newton, founder of the White Oak Civil War Museum; Dave Roth of Blue & Gray Magazine; and the late Ted Alexander, former historian at Antietam National Battlefield and director of the Chambersburg Civil War Seminar.

For more on Eric’s work at the Battle of Franklin Trust, you can listen to an interview from the Emerging Civil War Podcast or watch the interview on the ECW YouTube page.

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About Emerging Civil War

Emerging Civil War is the collaborative effort of more than thirty historians committed to sharing the story of the Civil War in an accessible way to the general public. Founded in 2011 by Chris Mackowski, Jake Struhelka, and Kristopher D. White, Emerging Civil War features public and academic historians of diverse backgrounds and interests, while also providing a platform for emerging voices in the field. Initiatives include the award-winning Emerging Civil War Series of books published by Savas Beatie, LLC; an annual symposium; a speakers’ bureau; and a daily blog: www.emergingcivilwar.com.

Emerging Civil War is recognized by the I.R.S. as a 501(c)3 not-for-profit corporation.