Historian/Documentary Editor, From Slavery to Freedom Digital Project

Posted by on October 6, 2006

[emailed 10/4/2006]

Please share this announcement with your colleagues, students, and anyone who might be qualified and interested. This is a short term position in conjunction with a current digitization project at HSP funded by the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom program. Thanks! — Kate Wilson

Historian/Documentary Editor

From Slavery to Freedom Digital Project

The Historical Society of Pennsylvania seeks a Project Historian and Documentary Editor to transcribe and edit a set of documents related to African American history in the Philadelphia area during the antebellum period. Documents will be mounted on the HSP website in facsimile and edited transcription form, as part of a project to digitize materials for classroom and research use.

Documents to be edited include:

? Journal C of Vigilance Committee, William Still, Pennsylvania Abolition Society Papers
? Account book of the Vigilance Committee, Pennsylvania Abolition Society Papers
? Constitution and minutes of the Junior Anti-Slavery Society of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Abolition Society Papers
? Actions involving fugitive slaves, 1786-1834, Pennsylvania Abolition Society Papers
? Actions involving illegal enslavement of free blacks, 1787-1830, Pennsylvania Abolition Society Papers
? Vigiliant Committee of Philadelphia records, 1839-44
? Letters and speeches of Jacob C. White (secretary of the Vigilant Committee of Philadelphia), American Negro Historical Society papers
? Public remarks by David Paul Brown (of Mother Bethel AME Church) and Robert Purvis, 1810-1841, Mother Bethel AME Church
? Select correspondence, Johnson family papers, Germantown Mennonite Historic Trust
? Newspaper excerpts, Germantown Telegraph, Public Ledger, and The Christian Recorder

Responsibilities of the position include:

? Transcribing documents according to HSP project protocols
? Annotating documents with historical, biographical, and other background and contextual information
? Identifying additional primary source material for inclusion in site as relevant
? Drafting and revising related introductory text for documents

Qualifications:

? Advanced degree (MA or PhD preferred) in history or related discipline with expertise in African American and American history. Familiarity with antebellum period and Philadelphia history essential.
? Experience working with historical primary sources essential; documentary editing experience preferred
? Experience writing in public history or other applied contexts
? Ability to work both independently and as part of a team

Terms:

This position is temporary part-time, for a 24-week period (at an average 20 hours/week) between November 2006 ? May 2007. To apply, send letter, resume/CV and references to Kate Wilson, Director of Education and Interpretation, The Historical Society of Pennsylvania, 1300 Locust Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19107. Electronic submissions at kwilson@hsp.org. Position open until filled.