Call for Papers

Saturday, April 9, 2004
Hartford, CT
Paper Proposal Deadline: October 15, 2004

"Underground Railroad Travelers: Research and Family History"

The Harriet Beecher Stowe Center and Gilder Lehrman Center (Yale University) invite proposals for papers for its 2005 symposium Finding People.

Finding People will highlight emerging research methodologies for
identifying African Americans once enslaved in the United States. The focus is on finding ancestors through a variety of means, using the Underground Railroad as both a metaphor and tool. The symposium will have two tracks:
one for scholars and another for genealogical researchers and family
historians. The scholars will discuss the current and collateral
literature, and present ideas for creating a research network. The
genealogists and family historians will learn techniques for finding
ancestors with Black and Native American heritage.

The symposium brings the
groups together in conversation by offering multiple opportunities for joint learning and sharing and to engage in interdisciplinary study.

Speakers and presenters include: David W. Blight, Yale University, author of Race and Reunion; Harriet Alonso, CUNY, author of Growing Up
Abolitionist; Helen F. M. Leary, who did groundbreaking working on Sally Hemmings; and Spencer Crew, from the National Underground Railroad Freedom
Center.

We invite abstracts that examine the following aspects of the people-side of
the Underground Railroad and finding African American ancestors:

1. Blacks helping Blacks through the Underground Railroad.
2. Creative approaches to utilizing the census to learn about Black people.
3. Archives and special collections related to the Underground Railroad and African American history.
4. Black Churches and the Underground Railroad.
5. Canada's role in the Underground Railroad.
6. Stories of individual travelers using the Underground Railroad
7. Children and the Underground Railroad.
8. Creating a network for research on the Underground Railroad.
9. Other topics related to the theme.

We invite proposals in a wide variety of disciplines and settings, as we hope to bring together academic scholars, students, museum professionals and public historians.ile sessions may be organized in the customary panel format, we also encourage proposals for poster sessions.

Format: Submit five copies of all required documents. Submit a title, abstract of not more than one page, and a one-page vita or resume by October
15, 2004 to:
Michael L. Radice, Ph.D.,
Director of Education and Visitor Services,
Harriet Beecher Stowe Center,
77 Forest St., Hartford, CT 06105.
Fax: 860-522-9259
mradice@stowecenter.org
(include the words"Paper Proposal URR" in the subject line).

Michael Radice, Ph.D.
Director of Education and Visitor Services
Harriet Beecher Stowe Center
77 Forest St.
Hartford, CT 06105
860-522-9258 x30