"Difficulty on the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal": The Struggles and Successes of Black Laborers and Freedom Seekers Along the Canal. Special History Study: African Americans and the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal from Antebellum to Post-Reconstruction
Romain S. 2021. "Difficulty on the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal": The Struggles and Successes of Black Laborers and Freedom Seekers Along the Canal. Special History Study: African Americans and the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal from Antebellum to Post-Reconstruction. NPS Special History Study. PMIS #249025A. National Park Service
The purpose of this document is to act as a guide and provide insight into the life and experiences of some Black laborers along the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal (C&O Canal) to inspire and direct further research. The C&O Canal played a large role in the creation of jobs, communities, and opportunities for both whites and Blacks during its operational years. While many white individuals in high positions have been studied, the experiences of Black laborers and freedom seekers along the C&O Canal have not been deeply researched. Scores of Black men, women, and children worked in various capacities along the canal and deserve to be recognized for the part they played to keep the company and local communities thriving. Current historical trends are focused on highlighting the agency of enslaved and free Blacks in the United States, and this report contributes by sharing information about approximately one hundred Black men's work along the C&O Canal. A biographical chart of the men accompanies this report. Brief summaries are included, along with primary and secondary sources, which document particular circumstances of their work lives or experiences along the C&O Canal. The report is organized chronologically, providing overviews and examples of Black labor on the canal during its construction and early operations (1828-1861), the Civil War (1861-1865), and after the war to the termination of canal operations (1865-1924).
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Romain, Sabrina
- Date of Issue
- 2021-06
- Publisher
- National Park Service
- Units
- CHOH
- Keywords
- African American history, Antebellum, Black, black history, C&O Canal, Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, Freedom Seekers, history, Laborer, NCR, Post-Reconstruction, Special History Study