History as Prologue

Tag: Underground Railroad

  • Bringing rigor to the Underground Railroad story

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    Mark Thomas
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    The noble failure Like most Americans my age, at least those who liked American History from early in their childhood, certain understanding were simply presumed straightforward. Among these acceptances was the purpose of the 1850 Fugitive Slave Law. I didn’t like what I knew of the law, but I understood that the slave states insisted…

  • Levi Coffin House – family ties

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    Mark Thomas
    in ,

    The Levi Coffin House – family ties Bringing old memories into focus My own association with what is now the Levi Coffin House State Historic Site predates my earliest memories. The better part of my first five years was spent in the house catercorner from the old brick Federal style home where my mother’s sister…

  • Social studies, civil rights and the bigger picture

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    Mark Thomas
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    Social studies, civil rights and the bigger picture There have been three presidential administrations, including the Obama Administration, since I last participated in a social studies methods class. Over the years, I’ve focused on units and lessons that support those broad themes of social studies without much deliberate thought given to those stemming concepts. Like all fundamentals…

  • The Reckoning of Nat Turner

    The Reckoning of Nat Turner

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    by

    Mark Thomas
    in

    Following his hanging, the body was beheaded and skinned by local physicians. Skinned. Nat Turner was executed on November 11, 1831. His death was intended to signal an end to further resistance by those held in bondage, however, Turner’s slave revolt served as a catalyst for debate over the viability of slavery and the disposition of…