From September 1944 to February 1946, the Reading Army Air Field outside of Reading, Pennsylvania, maintained a camp for German prisoners of war, who served as workers at the air base and on the farms around Berks County. Several of the POW’s were assigned to the base Paint Shop, which was managed by a civilian […]

Frederick Watts came to prominence during the nineteenth century as a lawyer and a railroad company president, but his true interests lay in agricultural improvement and in raising the economic, social, and political standing of Pennsylvania’s farmers. After being elected founding president of The Pennsylvania State Agricultural Society in 1851, he used his position to […]

“Made Free and Thrown Open to the Public” charts the history of public libraries and librarianship in Pennsylvania. Based on archival research at more than fifty libraries and historical societies, it describes a long progression from private, subscription-based associations to publicly funded institutions, highlighting the dramatic period during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries […]

The first half of the 19th century was an era of upheaval. The United States nearly lost the War of 1812. Partisanship became endemic during violent clashes regarding States’ Rights and the abolition of slavery. The battle between Andrew Jackson and Nicholas Biddle over the Second Bank of the United States epitomized a nation in […]

In a war of brother versus brother, theirs has become the most famous broken friendship: Union general Winfield Scott Hancock and Confederate general Lewis Armistead. Michael Shaara’s The Killer Angels (1974) and the movie Gettysburg (1993), based on the novel, presented a close friendship sundered by war, but history reveals something different from the legend […]

In this episode of the African American Experience we tour the historic Eden Cemetery in Collingdale, PA. Among the people interred at the cemetery are opera singer Marian Anderson, architect Julian Abele, abolitionist William Still and many others.

As the nation entered into the throes of World War II, Harrisburg was prepared to answer the call of service. Prideful as a “beehive of industry,” the city was a hub for wartime manufacturing, railroads and distribution. Bond drives attracted celebrities such as Abbott and Costello as locals enjoyed “Coffee MacArthur” and “Doughnuts Doolittle” for […]

In the mid-1800s, William Still was a major figure in the Underground Railroad, civil rights activism, and the abolition movement in Philadelphia. Joining us to talk about the life of William Still is Bill Kashatus. He is the author of “William Still: The Underground Railroad and the Angel at Philadelphia.”    

In this episode of the African American Experience we talk with Laurence Glasco about the life and plays of August Wilson. Wilson was a playwright born and raised in Pittsburgh. He is known for his Century Cycle of plays each of which takes place during a decade of the 20th century. Wilson’s plays were regularly […]

K. Leroy Irvis was the first African American elected as Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. He served as Speaker from 1977 to 1978 and then again from 1983 to 1988. He was first elected to the House in 1958 and served for 30 years. Joining us to talk about the life of K. […]