Resources

Links:
THE EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION:

The African-American Mosaic

Studies in the World History of Slavery, Abolition and Emancipation
occasional publication featuring essays, documents, images, databases, etc. relevant to the history of slavery.

Remembering Slavery
is a book and a radio mini-series by Smithsonian Productions.

Chronology On The History Of Slavery, 1619 To 1789
is a chronological history of slavery in the United States.

Bits and Pieces

A Mortician's Work
by: Katie Gott

"The interesting thing about funeral work is that there are no typical days." Funeral Director John Chaplin of Pumphrey Funeral Homes in Bethesda stresses that as a mortician, no two days are ever the same. Given the unpredictable nature of work, Chaplin says that one must leave their prejudgements at the door. "Accept the families you deal with for who they are. Start fresh each time." Funeral homes deal with a variety of religious preferences, from Catholicism to Buddhism, and must cater to each families' needs. "You must be a good listener, responsive, kind, caring and sympathetic," Chaplin says. Although most morticians agree there is no peak time of year in the industry, many funeral directors volunteered to help in the recovery effort following the September 11th terrorist attacks. To become a mortician in the state of Maryland, an Associate's degree and 1,000 hours of apprentice work is required. One national and 2 state exams must be passed. During the apprenticeship, 20 bodies must be embalmed and assistance with 20 funerals is also required. Chaplins says that people don't realize that the work involves much more than simply the day of the service.

Delivering Babies
by: Sarah M. Lanse