Landscape of Conflict/Landscape of Freedom: The Battle of Island Mound and the Missouri-Kansas Border War

Summary

This is an abstract from the session entitled "Paper / Report Submission (General Sessions)" , at the 2022 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

On October 29th, 1862 the 1st Kansas Colored Volunteer Infantry became the first African American regiment to see combat in the Civil War, over 2 months before the Emancipation Proclamation. While this event initially gained national attention, it eventually faded from popular memory until recently. In 2012 the Battle of Island Mound State Historic Site was opened outside Butler, Missouri. It is included in the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom, and the Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area. This area suffered years of partisan conflict (known as the Border War) in the lead-up to the Civil War, which only intensified until the official end of hostilities in 1865. Additionally, General Order No. 11 devastated Bates County in 1863, destroying much of the built landscape. These events created not only archaeological challenges, but also a unique socio-cultural environment in which to interpret this important site.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• SHA 2022 General Sessions   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2022

Keywords

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology