Constitution Hall State Historic Site

Description

James Henry Lane had a significant impact on Kansas history and is one of Constitution Hall's more colorful characters. He was part of a large antislavery delegation that marched into Lecompton to protest the convening of the proslavery Lecompton Constitutional Convention in the fall of 1857. The nation's eyes were fixed on this site, waiting to see what kind of constitution would be drafted and whether Kansas would join the Union as a free or slave state. Visitors to the site can learn more about Jim Lane, the proslavery and free-state forces in the area, and other stories of territorial Kansas at Constitution Hall.

This site offers exhibits, tours, and educational and recreational programs.

First Territorial Capitol State Historic Site

Description

This building was the capitol for only four days in 1855, but many believe that the actions of the legislature that met here led directly to the Civil War. Governor Andrew Reeder picked this location, away from the proslavery influence of Missouri, where the legislature would choose a permanent seat of government, create a constitution, and decide if Kansas would be a free or slave state. Instead the legislature kicked out the antislavery members and passed a bill to move the government to Shawnee Mission near the Missouri border. Inside this native stone building visitors will learn the stories of the antislavery and proslavery people of territorial Kansas, set alongside the beauty of the Kaw River Nature Trail.

The site offers exhibits, tours, and educational and recreational events.

Shawnee Indian Mission State Historic Site

Description

In the 19th century, Americans wanted more land and settlement moved west. For countless Indians, the American thrust for land meant the end of their traditional way of life. The Shawnee Mission was one of many missions established as a manual training school attended by boys and girls from Shawnee, Delaware, and other Indian nations from 1839 to 1862. Visitor to this 12-acre National Historic Landmark can learn the stories of those who lived there.

The site offers exhibits, a short film, and occasional educational and recreational programs.

Chief Vann House Historic Site [GA]

Description

During the 1790s, James Vann became a Cherokee Indian leader and wealthy businessman. He established the largest and most prosperous plantation in the Cherokee Nation, covering 1,000 acres of what is now Murray County. In 1804 he completed construction of a 2-and-a-half-story brick home that was the most elegant in the Cherokee Nation. After Vann was murdered in 1809, his son Joseph inherited the mansion and plantation. Joseph was also a Cherokee leader and became even more wealthy than his father. In the 1830s almost the entire Cherokee Nation was forced west by state and federal troops on the infamous Trail of Tears. The Vann family lost their elegant home, rebuilding in the Cherokee Territory of Oklahoma. Today the Vann House survives as Georgia's best-preserved historic Cherokee Indian home. A guided tour allows visitors to see the house which features hand carvings, a "floating" staircase, a 12-foot mantle, and fine antiques.

The site offers tours, exhibits, a film, demonstrations, and recreational and educational events.

Prudence Crandall Museum

Description

The Museum is housed in the U.S.'s first academy for African-American women, which operated from 1833–1834. The school was run by Prudence Crandall (1803–1890), today designated as Connecticut's state heroine. The museum includes period rooms, changing exhibits, and a small research library.

The museum offers exhibits, research library access, and educational and recreational programs.

Exploring Amistad: Race and the Boundaries of Freedom in Maritime Antebellum America

Image
Barber, John W. "Hist of the Amistad" New Haven, Ct.: E.L. & J.W. B., 1840.LoC
Annotation

Presents more than 500 primary documents relating to the 1839–1842 revolt of enslaved Africans aboard the schooner Amistad, their legal struggles in the United States, and the multifaceted cultural and social dimensions of the case. The site features a searchable library that contains 32 items from personal papers, 33 legal decisions and arguments, and 18 selections from the popular media, including pamphlets, journal articles, reports, a playbill, and a poem.

In addition, 100 government publications, 28 images, 11 maps and nautical charts, and 310 newspaper articles and editorials are available. The website provides suggestions for using these materials in the classroom, a timeline, links to other resources, and a "living the history" component that encourages user feedback and participation. This visually attractive, well-conceived site provides a wealth of materials for students of slavery, race, politics, and print culture in antebellum America.

The Great Migration

Description

This iCue Mini-Documentary describes how, at the outbreak of World War I, industries in the north opened employment to African Americans. They left the south in record numbers for jobs in the north.

This feature is no longer available.

The Indian Wars

Description

This iCue Mini-Documentary describes how the Native Americans fought back throughout the 19th century, as the U.S. Army tried to contain them on smaller and smaller parcels of land.

This feature is no longer available.