We are happy to help the Laurel Cemetery Memorial Task Force spread the news about their upcoming black history lecture. The task force is endeavoring to erect a permanent memorial in recognition of the thousands of African Americans interred at Historic Laurel Cemetery, to ensure the safety and stability of the site into the foreseeable future, and to educate the public about the rich history of the cemetery and the lives of those buried there.

For more than two centuries and for almost two million people, Baltimore was the destination that promised hope and opportunity--a new life. For this talk, historian Jack Burkert will discuss the realities of immigrating to America. Beginning in the 18th century, and accelerating through the 19th century, immigrants provided the labor force necessary for Baltimore to become an industrial powerhouse. Throughout the 20th century, new arrivals from other parts of America continued to fuel Baltimore’s growth. Who were these people? Where were they from? Why did they leave home? We hope you’ll join us to explore these questions and more at this lecture!

In 1790, the Ridgely family’s Hampton Mansion was the largest house in the United States. Who worked to keep this enormous estate running efficiently? Who labored in the surrounding gardens and, a little farther away, in the lucrative, but treacherous iron furnaces? Join us to hear Gregory Weidman, Curator, Hampton National Historic Site, talk about her recent research as a member of the Hampton Ethnographic Team that worked for three years to uncover and document the lives and families of those enslaved on the Hampton estate.

We are happy to help the Laurel Cemetery Memorial Task Force spread the news about their upcoming black history lecture. The task force is endeavoring to erect a permanent memorial in recognition of the thousands of African Americans interred at Historic Laurel Cemetery, to ensure the safety and stability of the site into the foreseeable future, and to educate the public about the rich history of the cemetery and the lives of those buried there.