A Museum of Broken Chains

Over 160 years ago, Lancaster County PA was the site of the first spark that would soon ignite into the explosive and shocking Civil War. It was in Lancaster County that some historians claim to be the location of the first battle of the Civil War. On September 11th, 1851, a Maryland plantation owner sought his stolen property in Pennsylvania: four runaway slaves seeking shelter in Christiana, a village in southeast Lancaster County. Under the 1850 federal ruling named the Fugitive Slave Act, the plantation owner was technically, but not morally, within his rights. In the end, he didn't get what he came for...and never returned to Maryland. Four Quakers and thirty-four former slaves killed the plantation owner in whatever altercation followed their meeting; not only did they commit murder, but the victim was an aristocratic white male, and the action openly defied the very recent ruling of the United States Supreme Court. All thirty-eight participants in the incident were charged with treason. Within ten years, the United States would officially be split asunder.

Now, the location in Christiana is an authentic historical site recognized by the National Park Service and part of the Underground Railroad Network. The museum provides an account of the resistance by local historians and an educational experience on America's Underground Railroad. For information and more complete account of events on that day, visit the website or http://www.zerchershotel.com/. The museum located at 11 Green Street in Christiana is open 9AM-4PM Monday through Friday and by appointment on the weekends. The telephone number is 610-593-5171 for appointments and directions.