The National Prisoners of War Museum, Andersonville National Historic Site, GA

Prisoner of War! [gallery intro panel]

For those who are captured, the answer to "Who is a POW?" quickly becomes all too real.  But "Who or what is a POW?" is a more complex question than it first appears.

Why POW Definitions Matter [panel text]

In theory, captives who are legally defined as POWs will be treated humanely according to international standards and will be released when the conflict is over. 
    But POW definitions are often subject to interpretation by the enemy.  Should rebel fighters in a civil war be treated as traitors, POWs, civilian guerillas, or terrorists?   Should a downed pilot disguised in civilian clothing be held as a POW, or shot on the spot as a spy?   
    Who is to say?  The argument is as old as humanity, and as new as this morning's headlines.

Capturing "Johnny Reb" [interactive flipbook question]

In the U.S. Civil War, "Johnny Reb" or "Rebels" were nicknames for Confederate soldiers, because they rebelled against the U.S. government. 
   Some people thought Union troops should treat captured Confederates as insurgents, rebels, or traitors – crimes punishable by death. 
    Were captured Confederate soldiers legally entitled to humane treatment as POWs?