| On the Edge of Freedom: The Fugitive Slave Issue in South Central Pennsylvania, 1820-1870 Subjects: Fugitive slaves -- Pennsylvania -- History -- 19th century; Fugitive slaves -- Legal status laws etc. -- Pennsylvania -- History -- 19th century; African Americans -- Pennsylvania -- History -- 19th century; Antislavery movements -- Pennsylvania -- Hist; Describes the development of antislavery activism in border south central Pennsylvania. Rather than engage in public protest, activists concentrated on protecting fugitive slaves and prosecuting those who sought to recapture them. This approach paid dividends before the Civil War, but did not provide a solid basis for equal opportunity afterwards. Smith David G. : DAVID G. SMITH received his Ph.D. in American History from the Pennsylvania State University in 2006. He is a social historian of the Civil War period whose research centers on the intersection of war, societal conflict, and race. He currently works as a consultant to the Department of Defense. |