First Week

Last week was my first week at the Maryland State Archives (MSA) in Annapolis. I was warmly welcomed by Emily Oland Squires, Director of Research and Student Outreach, Chris Haley, Director of Research for the Study of the Legacy of Slavery in Maryland, Dr. Edward Papenfuse, the Maryland State Archivist, and the entire staff at the Maryland State Archives. 

I spent most of my first week familiarizing myself with the Legacy of Slavery and MSA websites. I also began training with different staff members throughout the Archives. First off were sessions on how to conduct research using Maryland vital records and the United States census. I have many opportunities to practice what I learn, including going into the stacks to look up 100 year-old birth and death records in huge bound registers. Finding information on a particular person often involves looking through an index on one floor and then going to another floor to find the actual birth record or death certificate. Many records may also be available on microfilm or electronically.

After about a month of training, I’ll start working on projects centered on the Legacy of Slavery, particularly on the records of the Maryland State Colonization Society. I'll discuss the Maryland State Colonization Society and the Legacy of Slavery Project in greater depth in future posts.