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Your decision whether to join a Civil War living history group or be independent will have some
effect on your impression and the clothing you will need as most groups have some kind of authenticity standards and impression
guidelines that members are asked to adhere to. If you are dead set on a particular impression, you will need to be aware
of what your affiliation choices are and if those choices support your reasons for becoming involved in Civil War living history.
If you are new to the hobby, being part of a group can be beneficial. A group can provide mentors
to help you reach the level of authenticity you are aiming for by offering advice and pointing you toward resources. A group
can also provide you with event information and/or invitations you may not otherwise receive. Once at an event, a group can
give you “a home”—somewhere to “hang out”, a place to camp and/or a group with whom to participate
in living history scenarios. A group can also serve as a network to meet other living historians in your area.
Joining a Group When looking for a group there are several
things you may want to consider: What is the main goal of the group? Public education, living history, social club, heritage group?
Does it match your reasons for becoming involved in living history? What type of events does the group attend? Do they attend the type
of events you want to participate in? What is the level of civilian activity within the group? Do civilian and military members
interact at events? Will it bother you if you do not see the military members until after the event is over? Are families
welcome? Are single women welcome? Are male civilians welcome or are they expected to participate as military? How stringent are the authenticity
standards? Do the authenticity standards match what you are looking for in living history? How structured is the group? Are
there officers or is it an informal group? Are civilian members eligible to hold office? Is there a minimum event attendance
requirement for membership? Is it a reasonable goal for you to meet? Is there a dues requirement? Is it affordable for you? Is there a time
limit in which you must meet any authenticity standards? Is it a reasonable goal for you? Does the group portray a particular
military unit, state or region or do they have several different impressions depending on the needs of the event? Does the group
impression(s) include any you are not willing to participate in? Are there diverse civilian impressions or does the group have a
particular civilian impression?
Some groups post their event schedules on their websites; you may want to attend an event
as a spectator and visit with a group(s) to see if a particular group is for you. You can find Civil War era reenactment and
living history groups in Texas through the internet, the various hobby forums and list serves and in hobby publications.
Being Independent Another option is to participate in living history
as an independent with no official affiliation with any particular group. As an independent, you meet your own standards of
authenticity and event participation rather than a group’s. You will need to do your own research to find events you
want to attend and to reach the authenticity level you want to obtain. You will also want to participate on the various hobby
forums and list serves to network with other living history participants. This website can help you with some of that research.
You will need to develop your own impression(s) as there is no group impression to direct you.
This may take a bit more research depending on how in depth you want to go and what is expected at the events you attend.
Also, since there is no group activity, you will want to develop activities that you can do independently at events.
Being an independent does not mean going alone, however; several events offer opportunities for
independent civilians to participate in living history scenarios with other event participants either directly or intermittently
throughout the event. Contact the event organizers ahead of time and ask if there are any civilian scenarios planned and how
you can participate.
It
is also possible to participate in both worlds—be a member of a group and still have a certain level of autonomy, attending
events and participating in activities outside any group you may belong to. As you participate in the hobby you may find that
you have outgrown the group and/or impression you started with. Don’t feel you are locked into one way of participating
or you must remain with the same group you started with. The best way to participate in this hobby is the way that makes it
fun for you
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