The following post is from July 2013:
As part of our work on The Hill we took two walking tours of Easton. The first was lead by Professor Dale Green of Morgan State University based on his research on The Hill neighborhood and the second was given by one of the docents at the Historical Society of Talbot County. Both tours showed a very different side of Easton. While one exclusively discussing the African American community on The Hill and the other discussed almost exclusively the White neighborhood. Both had very long and rich histories right alongside each other yet, ironically, neither tour mentioned the other community.
The work of Archaeology in Annapolis in conjunction with Professor Green’s research on The Hill is to further investigate and uncover the lives of freed African Americans who lived on the Hill in the early 1800s. This work is not only for the benefit of the community on The Hill whose members have been working with Professor Green on his research, or for the historic preservation of the neighborhood, but for the study of history of life in early 19th century America. Often history neglects the lives of minorities, but though ignored by history, they had a significant role in shaping the cultural landscape that we know today. Archaeology therefore, can be used to reshape old assumptions and understandings by providing a hands on look at the history and tell us a more accurate story of a blended and complex cultural past.