Quindaro: The Intersection of Abolitionist Politics, Freed Blacks, and a Flourishing Community
Proposed Symposium Date: Fall 2017
Contact: Liz Hobson, Education & Interpretation Manger, Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area
The historical significance of the townsite of Quindaro, Kansas, is an established but growing topic thanks to the diligent work of enthusiasts and the site’s listing on the National Register of Historic Places. The history of the community is essential to the telling of the larger national story of abolitionist and antislavery politics in the Civil War era, race relations, women’s suffrage, native peoples, the Civil War in the West, and other significant stories of our nation. This symposium will contribute to the process of designating the ruins of Quindaro as a National Historic Landmark that will encourage new research, bring this scholarship to a broader public audience, and facilitate discussions about the future of the Quindaro site.
Purpose: Exploring the multi-faceted historical significance of Quindaro, Kansas.
Format:
Research and papers will be presented through panel sessions and workshops at a weekend long symposium in Kansas City. The papers sought are intended to be included in a published edited volume. The papers will also be included in a website that combines all presented scholarship and will serve as an online repository of primary sources related to Quindaro
Suggested themes and topics that may be addressed in the papers include, but are not limited to:
- The pivotal role of Quindaro as a port for Free Staters entering Kansas
- Meaning of “abolitionist,” “free state,” and “free labor” in the context of pre-Civil War Kansas
- How the role of state-sovereignty was defined
- Quindaro as an intersection of American culture
- What role did Kansas and Missouri play in the development of the Civil War?
- How should we commemorate Quindaro?
- Historic Quindaro Western University
- The Underground Railroad
- Native Americans
- Women’s Suffrage
- Land Speculation
This symposium welcomes submissions from:
- Professional Scholars
- Researchers and Public Historians
- Authors
- Community Members
- Descendants of Quindaro citizens
- Students
Submission Details:
Deadline: November 14, 2016
Format: A one-page abstract with working title; C.V. or resume
Contact/Submission Instructions: Please address proposals and inquiries to:
Liz Hobson
Education & Interpretation Manger
Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area
P.O. Box 526
Lawrence, KS 66044
ehobson@freedomsfrontier.org