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Many old buildings have stories to tell. One building in downtown Boston, 26 Court Street, played an important role in Boston’s fight to help end slavery. More recently it was home to the Boston School Department, until the city moved the headquarters to Roxbury’s Dudley Square. The building played other interesting roles in history as you’ll hear in this public radio story.
Story Length: 4:51
WBUR
AIR DATE: 04/08/2015
The African Meeting House is the oldest standing black church in America.The Meeting House underwent a $9 million restoration to make it look like it did in 1855. This public radio story looks at the re-dedication of a building that helped shape Boston’s and America’s history.
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Kentucky was one of four states that were slaves states but did not declare secession from the Union during the U.S. Civil War. They are known as "border states." Kentucky began the U.S. Civil War as officially neutral. This public radio story describes Kentucky’s experience as a neutral border state. In the story you hear from descendants of a family whose ancestors fought on both sides of the Civil War, a common experience in border states.
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The abolition of slavery in the United States didn’t happen all at once. Vermont was the first state to abolish slavery, in 1777, and most Northern States followed suit. This meant that escaped slaves could come North and rebuild their lives as free men and women. From the Underground Railroad, to even mailing yourself in a box, slaves found ways to escape their circumstances and come North. The 1850 Fugitive Slave Act changed all that. Why was this Act approved and what was its result? Listen to learn more about escaping slavery and the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850.
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