Harford County's Hosanna School Museum set to transcribe records of African Americans from post-Civil War era

May 3—The Hosanna School Museum, which is the first of three Freedmen's Bureau schoolhouses created in Harford County, has partnered with the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) and the University of Maryland to transcribe records revealing untold stories of the African American experience during the post-Civil War and Reconstruction eras.

"These records attest to the rich history of our country and are a powerful demonstration of the persistence and resiliency of former slaves who were denied basic rights, but banded together despite the odds," said Iris Barnes, executive director of the Hosanna School Museum. "It means so much for Hosanna School to be a part of this transcription project to help share these important stories with the public. The records have been vital to developing our permanent exhibitions at Hosanna and the McComas Institute."

The United States Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands, also known as The Freedmen's Bureau, was created by Congress in 1865 to help formerly enslaved people transition from slavery to freedom and citizenship. The bureau established a free school system and provided food, shelter, clothing and land, as well as medical care and legal representation.

The bureau created more than 1.7 million records between 1865 and 1872, offering a unique view into the lives of these newly freed African Americans and life in the South after the Civil War, according to a news release. The records identified the names of hundreds of thousands of formerly enslaved individuals and refugees, according to a news release.

"Most Freedmen's Bureau documents have been digitized, yet few have been transcribed. From these pages, many stories can emerge," said Quint Gregory, director of the Michelle Smith Collaboratory for Visual Culture, Art History and Archaeology at the University of Maryland. "But without transcription, finding these stories can be difficult. Transcription helps us uncover new knowledge about our nation's past."

For example, one narrative from Hosanna School's Freedmen's Bureau records was about Edmonia Highgate, a prolific writer who, in March 1865, held the first class at the Hosanna School. While bringing Highgate and her family's story back to light, the Freedmen's Bureau records revealed the shared trials, triumphs, challenges and realities of African Americans during the Reconstruction era.

"While laws changed during this time, promises often rang hollow as teachers and students were attacked for simply trying to improve conditions for African Americans," Barnes said. "Many churches that housed schools were burned to the ground to keep African Americans from achieving an education. By working to transcribe these records, more stories and more of our history will be revealed."

As part of the 2022 Freedmen's Bureau Transcribe-a-Thon, "Immersing Ourselves in the Stories and Spaces of Black Education," transcribers were in a 3D virtual reality space that the Virtual Reality Collaboration Lab created of the Hosanna School Museum, so transcribers could explore and learn firsthand about the school.

"Only 2% of the 95,000 entries on the National Register of Historic Places focus on the African American experience," Aaron Rice, founder and CEO of Virtual Reality Collaboration Lab, said. "Our company is leading the effort to digitally preserve African American cultural heritage sites and experiences."

Family historians, genealogists, students and scholars around the world will have online access to these transcribed records, which will be keyword searchable, making it easier to find a person or topic, Gregory said.

Hosanna School Museum was the first of three Freedmen's Bureau schoolhouses created in Harford County, and the building was used as a school, community meeting place and church. In 1879, Harford County school commissioners took on operation of the school and Hosanna remained an active schoolhouse for African American children until 1946. Currently, it is a schoolhouse museum, and is available for community meetings as well as public and private events.