Actors reenact events in Kansas history at 'Binding up the Nation's Wounds'

The Emporia community was taken back in time last night with the Binding up the Nation’s Wounds.

The event, presented by the Society of Public History, provided first-hand accounts provided by two actors/historians on their roles in the Underground Railroad and slavery from 7-9 p.m. in the Kanza Room at Emporia State.

“This is an intimate look at Bleeding Kansas and the Civil War,” said Joyce Theirer, assistant professor of history. “These are historians using primary sources. The event is cast like a play but it’s not like a play you would see in Bruder Theatre. Both historians researched the people they are playing and then wrote the script for their character. The events and clothing are all accurate.”

The first individual to take the stage was Anne Hawkins who played Mary Jane Ritchie, a woman who worked with her husband, John Ritchie, to help slaves escape to freedom on the Underground Railroad. Hawkins took the stage that contained only a chair, pale and box that read Beecher’s Bibles on the outside.

“I thought her account of the events that abolitionist faced during the Underground Railroad was very helpful in understanding the dangers,” said Sara Stephens, freshman elementary education major. “The dangers and the way that she described them are something that you don’t get from just reading a book about the Underground Railroad.”

Being an abolitionist according to U.S. law meant that an individual caught helping a slave could face imprisonment for 6 months and fined $1,000. However, since Kansas was not a state but just a territory the fine was much harsher. The minimum sentence was 10 years of imprisonment and possibly the death penalty.

Hawkins gave the audience tips that they should follow if they did decide that they would like to participate in the Underground Railroad. She recommended that individuals know what areas in Kansas are safe for slaves to be sent. The safest towns in the Kansas territory at the time included Lawrence and Topeka.

The second actor was Norman Joy portrayed Robert E. Lee. Joy took the stage wearing an authentic Confederate general’s outfit.

Lee discussed the turmoil he had faced during and after the Civil War, from losing his stars, title and his wife’s home when the Confederate Army lost the Civil War.

“The accounts of both actors were done very well,” said Leigh Roser, freshman business major. “It was an interesting perspective into the past. It was even more interesting that we got a perspective from a man and a woman.”