Thesis

The Christiana Resistance of September 11, 1851, involved the death of a Maryland slaveholder who was trying to recapture his escaped slaves in Pennsylvania. The result was the largest treason trial in American history. Communication was at the center of the Christiana story, from the escape and fight for freedom to the propaganda battle that followed. Today, however, the site of the resistance has been largely forgotten and sits on private farmland. This communicates the wrong values, suggesting that Americans don’t fully appreciate the freedom fighters who risked their lives for equality.