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METHODOLOGY To gather factual information about the status and importance of the Underground Railroad in Iowa five existing sites will be visited: Salem, Tabor, Lewis, Keosauqua, and West Des Moines. Interviews will be conducted and relevant materials collected, the resulting data will be compiled on a website. I will design this web site for the purpose of enlightening the nation on the many historical sites available for tourism in Iowa concerning slavery. Maps of the route(s) taken by the Underground Railroad will be included, and an extended bibliography of all media available for further information will be provided. The language of the Underground Railroad from 1830 to 1865 – a code used by all travelers will also be included. The format will be geared towards teachers, educators, and anyone with an interest in Iowa’s rich history. My interest in this project developed from extensive traveling (while working) through the Midwest and the South three years ago. I discovered many historical sites that I was not aware of, much of this midwestern history in regards to slavery. I had been under the impression that to learn anything about the Underground Railroad and to see restored sites, it was necessary to visit the Southern states. Those states were the only areas that actively promote slavery as a tourist attraction. I realized how mistaken I had been and hope to use the Internet to help educate others to the history available to them right in their own backyards. |