In an interview available on House Divided’s YouTube channel, Kate Larson explains several myths surrounding the famous Underground Railroad conductor, Harriet Tubman. “The most important ones to talk about,” she explains “is the myth about returning to the south nineteen times and rescuing 300 people.” She further expounds that these myths developed from an early […]
3
Jun
09
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2
Jun
09
Have a story about a local Underground Railroad stop?
Posted by Published in Antebellum (1840-1861), Images, MapsThe National Park Service is looking to expand upon its Underground Railroad stops in its National Register of National Historic Places. By visiting , “Aboard the Underground Railroad: A National Register Travel Itinerary” you can help the NPS. At the website, one can explore stops on the Underground Railroad, both in the North and South, […]
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May
09
The Gilder Lehrman Institute just added a new podcast on Abraham Lincoln’s political career during the early 1850s. In “Lincoln at Peoria: The Turning Point,” Lewis E. Lehrman explains how in October 1854 Lincoln “argu[ed ] that slavery was incompatible with the Founders’ vision of America as articulated in the Declaration of Independence.” While House […]
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Nov
08
The House Divided Project contains many depictions of Underground Railroad related violence, many taken from William Still’s The Underground Railroad. Depictions of events such as this one of the Christiana Riot are surprisingly graphic despite being hand drawn engravings. Other pictures with titles like “Desperate Conflict in a Barn” and “Fight in the Bay” are […]
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Sep
08
Scholars question Tubman quotation in Clinton DNC speech
Posted by Matthew Pinsker Published in Antebellum (1840-1861), Recent NewsThe New York Times reports that some noted scholars such such as Milton Sernett and Kate Larson have questions about the authenticity of a moving quotation from Harriet Tubman used by Hillary Clinton in her recent speech to the Democratic National Convention. “If you hear the dogs, keep going. If you see the torches in […]
7
Aug
08
New Article on the South & Slavery
Posted by sailerd Published in Antebellum (1840-1861), Lesson PlansWhile I already mentioned Teaching the Journal of American History in another post, I want to highlight their recent update. Lacy Ford’s article from the June 2008 issue (Reconfiguring the Old South: ‘Solving’ the Problems of Slavery, 1787-1838) is now available for free. The author provides six interesting exercises that you could use in class. […]
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Jul
08
Fergus Bordewich on Essential Underground Railroad Figures
Posted by Published in Antebellum (1840-1861), Lists, Recent ScholarshipNo activist of the Underground Railroad served longer or with more distinction than Levi Coffin. Coffin was raised in the Quaker enclave in Guilford County North Carolina, where in 1819-1820 he helped to organized the only documentable UGRR operation beyond the upper South. From then until about 1850, Quakers with the assistance of local African […]
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Jul
08
Kate Larson on Essential Underground Railroad Figures
Posted by Published in Antebellum (1840-1861), Lists, Recent ScholarshipThe three characters I would teach – given very limited time – would be, of course, Harriet Tubman, William Still, and Thomas Garrett. These three people were incredible forces on the UGRR as individuals and as accomplices and colleagues. Harriet Tubman tapped into Thomas Garrett’s and William Still’s extensive and sophisticated UGRR network that encompassed […]
23
Jul
08
Exploring the Truth of the Underground Railroad
Posted by Published in Antebellum (1840-1861), Lesson Plans, Letters & DiariesExplorepahistory.com is a great resource for teachers of Pennsylvania, BUT it is also useful to ALL scholars, historians, teachers and students of the UNDERGROUND RAILROAD. The website provides images and explanations of every historical marker in Pennsylvania including The Christiana Riot, William Still, Frederick Douglass and John Brown. There are also lesson plans focused on […]
22
Jul
08
Was the Civil War the result of conflict between small militant anti-slavery and pro-slavery groups? The questions is still debated today. To allow your class to join in on the debate, History Now provides a lesson plan for high school level students exploring Militancy in the Abolition Movement. The lesson provides primary source documents to […]
