Landmarks of the Underground Railroad: From Christiana to Harpers Ferry

FAIN: BH-50101-06

Dickinson College (Carlisle, PA 17013-2896)
Matthew F. Pinsker (Project Director: August 2005 to April 2007)

Two one-week workshops for 100 school teachers on the Underground Railroad and the antebellum era.

NEH Landmarks of American History and Culture: Workshops for School Teachers. "Landmarks of the Underground Railroad: From Christiana to Harpers Ferry." Two week-long workshops will challenge the way 100 K-12 teachers have been presenting this elusive subject. Site visits integrated with documentary evidence will push participants to broaden their understanding of what did - and did not - constitute an Underground Railroad escape. Participants will discover that fugitives and the northerners who protected them were often as likely to fight as flee when confronted by slave catchers in the 1850s. Study of two nearby historic sites: Christiana PA, and Harpers Ferry WV will provide new insights into the aggressive operations of the Railroad and help frame the story of the coming of the Civil War. By the end of the workshop teachers will draft lesson plans that incorporate both episodes and offer a fresh approach to the study of the Underground Railroad.