Philadelphia has come a long way since horse-drawn carriages. Dive into the history of mass transit in Philadelphia from the 1800s to the present.

In the 1790s, in the midst of the Haitian Revolution, hundreds of slaveholders relocated from Santo Domingo to Philadelphia, bringing their slaves with them. Under the guidance of historian Scott Heerman, you’ll use historical maps and documents to rethink what it meant to be enslaved at this time and reexamine what it meant to be an abolitionist.

Chinese restaurants, Korean dry cleaners, Vietnamese nail salons: the phenomenon of immigrant work clusters is pervasive enough to elicit both stereotypes and serious study. What’s driving immigrants to these particular industries with long hours and low pay? We’ll bring together a panel of Philadelphians to share their own experiences.

The 1800s and early 1900s were an era of both headway and urgency in Philadelphia, with nationally-known figures like Frederick Douglass and W.E.B. Du Bois agitating for equality alongside Philadelphians like Octavius Catto and Emiliee Davis. Join the Young Friends Board for a free special viewing of curated documents from this era, and hear from black history researchers about the historical significance of these items.