May 11, 2021
The Southern Maryland Civil War Round Table is pleased to announce that its May meeting will take place virtually on Tuesday, May 11, 2021 at 7:00pm from your computer. Due to continuing concerns over the COVID 19 virus and in the interest of member health and safety, we are moving our meeting on line for the immediate future. Members should be checking their email for directions on how to connect to the meeting on May 11, 2021 at 7pm. Not a member! Please reach out to us at bsunderland@somdcwrt.org to learn how to become a member.
Guest Speaker: Edna Troiano
A we conclude our slate of speakers for our ninth year, we welcome Ms. Edna Troiano, who will bring us the story of a local, Mr. Josiah Henson, who inspired a story that most of us are familiar with.
Josiah Henson, born into slavery in La Plata, Maryland, was auctioned off as a child to pay his slaveholder’s debt. Because of his intelligence and skill, he became an overseer on the plantations in Maryland and Kentucky where he was enslaved. Learning that he was going to be sold to the South, he escaped with his wife and four young children. Once safe in Canada, he established a school and a settlement for fugitives, repeatedly returned to the United States to rescue other enslaved people on the Underground Railroad, became a sought-after preacher and lecturer, and was an inspiration for the heroic character of Uncle Tom in Harriet Beecher Stowe’s novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin.
Edna M. Troiano, who holds a Ph.D. in comparative literature, is professor emerita of the College of Southern Maryland, where she chaired the Department of Languages and Literature from 1986 to 2006. She coauthored two college rhetoric texts (Write to Know and The Contemporary Writer) and co-edited an anthology of Christmas literature (The Roads from Bethlehem). Her articles, book reviews, and essays have been published widely in academic journals and popular magazines. She lives in Maryland with her husband Pete, her son Leo, and her brilliant and beautiful golden retriever Penelope.
Please come out and join us as we learn about this local personage, the life he led and the inspiration he became. Attendance is free, but membership is recommended. Please feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns at bsunderland@somdcwrt.org or at 443-975-9142. We look forward to seeing you!