Sacred Trust 2026
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Gettysburg National Military Park Museum & Visitor Center | The Kinsley Theater | Doors Open at 6 p.m. | Free tickets are required in advance for the July 1 program.
6:30-7:30 p.m. | From Pangea to Pennsylvania: The Geological Battle Beneath the Battlefield with Jesse Reimink, Ph.D. and Chris Bolhuis
Before the first shot was fired, the outcome of the Battle of Gettysburg was already being shaped—by nearly a billion years of Earth history. The rocks beneath this hallowed ground have witnessed colliding continents, inland seas teeming with ancient life, cataclysmic volcanic eruptions and the slow breakup of the supercontinent Pangaea. But geology wasn't just a backdrop to the battle. It was an active participant. The cavernous boulders of Devil's Den, the commanding height of Little Round Top, the subtle ridgelines that funneled armies towards collision—these were not accidents of fate. They were the product of deep time, written into the landscape long before Lee and Meade ever set foot on Pennsylvania soil. Fault systems shaped the roads armies marched on. Rock outcrops determined where men sought cover and where artillery found purchase. The land itself chose sides. In this talk, we bring that billion-year story to life—and show how the ground beneath your feet helped decide the fate of a nation.
6:30-7:30 p.m. | From Pangea to Pennsylvania: The Geological Battle Beneath the Battlefield with Jesse Reimink, Ph.D. and Chris Bolhuis
Before the first shot was fired, the outcome of the Battle of Gettysburg was already being shaped—by nearly a billion years of Earth history. The rocks beneath this hallowed ground have witnessed colliding continents, inland seas teeming with ancient life, cataclysmic volcanic eruptions and the slow breakup of the supercontinent Pangaea. But geology wasn't just a backdrop to the battle. It was an active participant. The cavernous boulders of Devil's Den, the commanding height of Little Round Top, the subtle ridgelines that funneled armies towards collision—these were not accidents of fate. They were the product of deep time, written into the landscape long before Lee and Meade ever set foot on Pennsylvania soil. Fault systems shaped the roads armies marched on. Rock outcrops determined where men sought cover and where artillery found purchase. The land itself chose sides. In this talk, we bring that billion-year story to life—and show how the ground beneath your feet helped decide the fate of a nation.
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Where is it happening?
1195 Baltimore Pike, Gettysburg, PA, United States, Pennsylvania 17325
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.
Host or PublisherGettysburg Foundation
