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Degrees
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BA in History, MA in English
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My Expert Service
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I have been intensely studying the Underground Railroad for 14 years. My interest began 18 years ago when I did a story for a local newspaper based on oral tradition about the region we covered. It drew interest from others and I began receiving invitations to speak about it. One community decided to apply for a grant to do a local study and put me in charge. This led to some interesting discoveries that stimulated my interest and encouraged me to apply for some grants on my own.
After seven years of intense research, I completed a full-length study of the Underground Railroad in eastern New York. I have since participated in conferences, written papers, taken trips to visit Underground Railroad sites and locations, and given presentations on various aspects of the Underground Railroad (one of a theatrical nature). My expertise has expanded from the study of a single county in New York to the entire U.S.
My study has led me to the conclusion that the key to understanding the Underground Railroad is to go back to the original sources, notably the huge archive of letters from former participants and their relatives amassed by historian Wilbur Siebert. His archive is stored at both the Ohio Historical Society in Columbus, Ohio, and Harvard University in Boston. I hope to write a book analyzing the Siebert letters and evaluate their credibility, which some have questioned. Answers to this question will help bring us a better understanding of whether the Underground Railroad was more myth or reality.
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Experience & Qualifications
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I have authored four books about the Underground Railroad, and am working on a fifth under contract. I also have traveled from New England to the Mississippi River, including Canada, visiting sites and following trails that were used on the Underground Railroad.
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Available Modes Of Communication
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email/chat
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Contact
Tom Calarco
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