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Black slavery history sites
We are going be going down the east coast states, crossing from Wash Dc, over thru Wv and Virgina, over to Kentucky, and we would like to know if there is any history sites on our way about the slavery in the south.
We have a 17 yr old that would be very interested in that history. thanks in advance |
A little web- or guidebook-research should help you with your plans. It's been a while since I've done a trip like yours, but if I remember correctly state tourism web sites will likely have information.
Good luck! |
This is a joke, yes?
There is so much history there, it is impossible to respond. M |
The Underground Railroad Museum in Cincinnati is very new so I haven't been yet. I don't know if you'll go that far west. I'm hoping to go this spring.
www.freedomcenter.org |
For Virginia site, start here:
http://www.virginia.org/site/features.asp?FeatureID=196 Have fun planning your trip. Can't imagine why anyone would consider your question to be a joke. |
The new Underground Railroad Museum recently opened in Cincinnati (which is just across the Ohio River from Northern Kentucky). I haven't been yet, but it looks impressive and I've heard good things. BTW, I don't know why anyone would think your thread is a joke. It seems like a very reasonable question to me as you aren't just asking about history but sites specifically relating to slavery. Have a good trip!
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I know this is out of your way but Hilton Head Island and environs hosts the Annual Gullah/Geechee Festival. Very informative and very colorful.
Interesting piece of trivia, did you know that free blacks also owned slaves in the south? |
There are quite a few big exhibits, but a lot of the more interesting ones are in places that you are not going to be, including Cincinnati, St. Louis, and Key West.
I would suggest the Anacostia Museum in DC as a start; it's part of the Smithsonian: http://anacostia.si.edu/exhibits/Exh...Navigation.htm |
I highly recommend a 1/2 day in Harpers Ferry National Park. Take the Ranger-guided walking tour.
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In Charlottesville, Virginia there is Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's home. Your 17 year old can learn quite a bit about life as a slave during Jefferson's time. There is a separate tour (included with the house tour) devoted to the slave quarters. Jefferson had an interesting relationship with his slaves which is worth hearing about.
In Richmond is the Museum of the Confederacy which would also be a good place to go to learn more. The Confederate White House is next door to it. |
There are many excellent sights, with which I am personally familiar, that would be good to visit. Some are heavy on the slavery issue, and others are only related to it. Monticello would be a great choice. The John Brown museum at Harper's Ferry is extremely interesting and educational, and the town is a nice place to visit in itself. The Antietam battlefield is nearby in Maryland. The battlefield does not concentrate on the issue, but it was following the Union "victory" (actually a tie) here that Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. The battlefield at Petersburg, VA has a monument to black troops, who played a major role in the initial phases of the battle. They were also to have played the most important part in the Crater battle (you may have seen it in the movie Cold Mountain - also in this battlefield park) but ended up following white troops into battle because of concerns that the public would think they had been sacrificed.
Here is a little more information for you: http://www.virginia.org/site/features.asp?FeatureID=26 |
Someone has a teenager interested in learning more about slavery (which is indeed a disgraceful part of our history, but history nonetheless) and is looking for historical sites of interest. How is that offensive?
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So the holocaust museum is offensive to you? Are you jewish? History is about learning from our mistakes. If you choose to ignore them, that is your choice, but that doesn't mean everyone else has to as well. It certainly doesn't make it offensive.
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I too am curious as to why this thread would be offensive to someone. As a life-long student of history, who once pursued a career as a historian, it concerns me when people let their political or other personal views get in the way of an objective understanding of our past - both the good and the bad. Is there no value in traveling to places associated with slavery, the Holocaust, the Civil War, or other negative parts of our history? Personally, I have found that seeing these places for myself both adds to my understanding and makes me want to read more about them when I return.
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If I've offended anyone with this posting, I'm sorry about that.
We are looking for some things that interest our daughter. And the slavery and holocaust does interest her. Not at the expense of others hardship or sorrow, but with the the gratefullness that freedom was given. And that reality of life and the world around us is real, and that life can sometimes not be fair. |
After a drive home reflecting I wanted to offer the following thoughts. When we recognize the hardships people have endured in our history, we give them a voice. It is a tribute to their suffering to try to understand what they endured.
My grandparents' families (both jewish) came to the US from Poland before the war - had they not I would likely not be here today. When I see the faces of Holocaust victims they clench my heart and fill me with sorrow. It is not a pleasant sight, but those who wish to learn more about the attrocities of the past keep the victims alive by making sure they are not forgotten. |
My guess is that Gwen_Anderson would then approve of book banning. What's that old saying..."Ignorance is bliss" or if you don't read about it, it didn't happen. Birdie, your request is not at all offensive.
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Birdie, you haven't offended anyone with any sense. History is full of tragedy, bigotry and injustice; we study it to try to avoid perpetrating more of the same. I hope you have an enlightening trip; and btw, look for a book called The Bondwoman's Narrative by Hannah Crafts. It's a recently discovered (by renowned African-American historian Henry Louis Gates, Jr.) novel written by a black woman who escaped slavery. Anything by or about Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad would also be interesting. Good luck!
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Gwen nobody is gawking at victims. They are studying history. We all can learn a lot from the past. On each trip or vacation my wife & I take we always include things of a historical value because they are everywhere & it is interesting to look into the past. The last trip we took we finished visiting the 21 missions in California. I get the impression that if history has a bad connotation in Gwen's mind then it should be bulldozed, buried, & forgotten - what a dull world it would be if Gwen had her way.
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Shea - I too visit the missions. It's sometimes painful, but it is a part of our history and should not be forgotten.
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When I see a post with an attitude such as Gwen's, I click on their name to look at their other posts. In Gwen's case, there are a grand total of three - all with an attitude and none contributing to the subject of travel. Just ignore her.
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Whatever race you might happen to be, there is nothing offensive about wanting to take an in-depth look at any aspect of our country. The history of the U.S., comparatively short as it may be, is filled with turbulence and showcases every facet of humankind's honor and dishonor both in equal measure. It is far more offensive to ignore and turn a blind eye to the more uncomfortable events.
My respect goes to your teenager for her interest and to you for supporting her studies. |
Should we put these on the offensive list, too?
The Colosseum (gawking at victims of the Roman Empire) Tower of London (gawking at victims of the British crown) Valley Forge (gawking at revolutionary war victims) Normandy Coast (gawking at WWII victims) Flanders (gawking at WW I victims) The Pyramids (gawking at dead laborers) History is not always pretty. |
Craig has it right.
Gwen's paltry 3 or 4 posts are all negative and mostly negative towards children. What a sad life. |
Fodor's has done another "half-editing" job on this one. Gwen's posts about the OP being offensive has been deleted, but the replies to Gwen by myself and others haven't been deleted, with the result that we seem to be ranting at nothing. Oh, well.
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It is a bit outside of the states you mentioned, but Charleston, SC offers a lot of educational opportunities regarding slavery. There are tours, and you can visit plantations and see urban slave dwellings. There is a nice museum too. Charleston was one of the leading ports of entry for slaves.
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KT - You're right! It makes all of our responses seem like nonsense. It is a shame as I was actually impressed and encouraged by the feedback to Gwen's being offended. I think we handled it quite well and made some good points. As you said, Oh well.
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Carter's Grove Plantation used to have a wonderful living history display on slavery. It is my understanding that Colonial Williamsburg is no longer supporting this site, however, so it may no longer be open to the public. If you decide to visit the Underground Railroad Museum in Cincinnati, be sure to stop in the little town of Ripley. Located along Route 52 that parallels the Ohio River, this town is the site where Eliza crosses the ice flows on the river in "Uncle Tom's Cabin". Drive up to the Rankin House at the top of the hill. Used by runaway slaves as a 'station house', it currently houses a small onsite museum. For more information see www.ripleyohio.net
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