Making Sense of Murder After Emancipation

An image of The Shawangunk Ridge, visible from the poorhouse in which the murderer lived as a child.

This project invites students with experience in historical research to help gather sources that will make sense of a nineteenth century murder. 

Project is Not Currently Available

This project has reached full capacity for the current term. Please check back next semester for updates.

Project description

After the American Civil War, the nation was awash in violence. But while most of attention has been on the white supremacist violence of the deep South and its role in creating our current crisis of mass incarceration, one murder that took place in rural upstate New York demonstrates that the use of the legal system to control a newly emancipated Black population was a national, rather than regional, project. This project seeks to better understand this murder and place it within the context of poverty, race, education, and incarceration in the late nineteenth century United States.

Students interested in assisting with this research project should have some experience with historical research. Most of the research will be done online using research databases. Students will be responsible for downloading materials like digitized texts, newspaper articles, and communicating with archives to request scans as applicable. The student should be responsive to email, able to meet in person regularly, and highly organized. 

Project outcome

This research will be vital to the writing of a monograph on deaf education, crime, and incarceration in the late nineteenth century US. 

Project details

Timing, eligibility and other details
Length of commitment About a semester
Start time Winter, Spring, Summer
In-person, remote, or hybrid? Hybrid
Level of collaboration Individual Student Project
Benefits Stipend
Who is eligible All undergraduate students 

Project mentor

Sarah Handley-Cousins

Assistant Teaching Professor

History

Phone: (716) 645-8426

Email: handley2@buffalo.edu

Start the project

  1. Email the project mentor using the contact information above to express your interest and get approval to work on the project. (Here are helpful tips on how to contact a project mentor.)
  2. After you receive approval from the mentor to start this project, click the button to start the digital badge. (Learn more about ELN's digital badge options.) 
Start the Digital Badge

Preparation activities

Once you begin the digital badge series, you will have access to all the necessary activities and instructions. Your mentor has indicated they would like you to also complete the specific preparation activities below. After you’re approved to begin the project, your mentor will send the relevant materials. Please reference this when you get to Step 2 of the Preparation Phase. 

  • Meet with project supervisor, Sarah Handley-Cousins.
  • Read the current article draft to become familiar with the topic.
  • Read Susan Burch and Hannah Joyner, "Unspeakable: The Story of Junius Wilson." 

Keywords

history, crime, civil war, archives, database, monograph