In 1848, a 65-foot-long Chesapeake Bay schooner, known as the Pearl, transported 77 African Americans away from the shackles of slavery in Washington, D.C. and into the freedom that the Chesapeake offered. Unfortunately, after hitting bad weather, all 77 were captured in Southern Maryland and sold back into slavery. Local non-profit, The Pearl Coalition, will launch a campaign on August 1 to build a fully-functional replica of the ship that will host educational tours along the Anacostia and Potomac rivers. According to Urban Turf, this replica will be named the Spirit of the Pearl and will create further awareness of African American history during the 1900s. A naval architect, boat builder, local residents, and the Richardson Museum at Cambridge will assist in the construction of the replica. Once construction is complete, the ship will be docked on the Southwest Waterfront.
· African American History Comes to Life Through DC's Pearl Coalition [Urban Turf]
· The Pearl Coalition [Official Website]
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