Introduction
Many people have stepped in this world and left it without a substantial amount of documentation on their lives. These people have undoubtedly left an impact, big or small, on the world we live in today. It is important to explore the lives of those who came before us to not only discover how their lives shaped their worlds and vice versa, but to also celebrate their achievements and appreciate their legacy.
The ‘Infamous’ Woodlands Cemetery Project is an annual tradition at Julia R. Masterman High School, specifically in the Advanced Placement United States History class. The project requires students to find tombstones in the Woodlands Cemetery of West Philadelphia in order to uncover details about male subjects who lived during the 19th century, people whose lives may not have been as illustrious as some. For this reason, students are prohibited from selecting tombstones that are more than seven feet tall, as the owners of more elaborate tombstones would have been more wealthy and prominent. An additional restriction was that the subject must have been born prior to the 20th century, in order to highlight the differences between the era then and the era now. Furthermore, as the project is intended to uncover new information, it would have been pointless to research a subject whose life details were easily accessible. Women were unfortunately excluded from the project due to prevailing social norms of the times, resulting in a lack of opportunities and subsequently a lack of documentation for women.
From an initial pool of three possible candidates, students then select one to be the subject of an intricate and in-depth investigation, using a variety of documents and sources to piece together his life. After conducting some background research on our possible subjects, one man’s life stood out from the rest. That man was Memucan Hunt Howard, a prominent and well-connected 19th century surveyor from Tennessee. He constantly traveled around Tennessee, locating land warrants, which proved to be quite difficult for him, often facing illness and injuries. Howard was also not compensated for his work in money, but rather with more land from the government. He obtained thousands of acres of land in Tennessee, making him quite wealthy, which he would donate a large sum of to schools and charitable organizations. For a further understanding of the captivating life of Memucan Hunt Howard, utilize this partner-project website!
The ‘Infamous’ Woodlands Cemetery Project is an annual tradition at Julia R. Masterman High School, specifically in the Advanced Placement United States History class. The project requires students to find tombstones in the Woodlands Cemetery of West Philadelphia in order to uncover details about male subjects who lived during the 19th century, people whose lives may not have been as illustrious as some. For this reason, students are prohibited from selecting tombstones that are more than seven feet tall, as the owners of more elaborate tombstones would have been more wealthy and prominent. An additional restriction was that the subject must have been born prior to the 20th century, in order to highlight the differences between the era then and the era now. Furthermore, as the project is intended to uncover new information, it would have been pointless to research a subject whose life details were easily accessible. Women were unfortunately excluded from the project due to prevailing social norms of the times, resulting in a lack of opportunities and subsequently a lack of documentation for women.
From an initial pool of three possible candidates, students then select one to be the subject of an intricate and in-depth investigation, using a variety of documents and sources to piece together his life. After conducting some background research on our possible subjects, one man’s life stood out from the rest. That man was Memucan Hunt Howard, a prominent and well-connected 19th century surveyor from Tennessee. He constantly traveled around Tennessee, locating land warrants, which proved to be quite difficult for him, often facing illness and injuries. Howard was also not compensated for his work in money, but rather with more land from the government. He obtained thousands of acres of land in Tennessee, making him quite wealthy, which he would donate a large sum of to schools and charitable organizations. For a further understanding of the captivating life of Memucan Hunt Howard, utilize this partner-project website!
Gravestone of Memucan hunt howard
Located at Lot CC002 of the Woodlands Cemetery in Philadelphia, PA. Howard was buried along with his wife, Rebecca Porter Howard.
NAVIGATION
A detailed recount of the life of Memucan Hunt Howard. The bulk of our project, this biography was pieced together using some 40 primary sources along with numerous other sources. The biography reflects the challenges, failures, accomplishments and legacy of Memucan Hunt Howard, a wealthy and successful surveyor from Tennessee.
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A chronology of significant events in Philadelphia, America, and Memucan Hunt Howard's personal life during the late 18th century and throughout the 19th century. Memucan Hunt Howard, unlike other prospects of the Cemetery Project, spent the majority of his lifetime outside of Philadelphia. This resulted in an interesting timeline and a widespread national perspective.
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The documents and records used to detail the life of Memucan Hunt Howard. Documentation was sourced from the Philadelphia City Archives and the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, but also from a paramount database- Ancestry.com. Due to the historic 2018-2019 federal government shutdown, Tennessee archives and New York archives were not accessible. However, censuses and records obtained elsewhere were suffice.
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A collection of photos documenting Memucan Hunt Howard's places of residence and employment, as well as our journey in completing this project. From North Carolina to Tennessee to Philadelphia, our subject traversed thousands of miles through his life, which he recorded and documented. We thought our own journey, from the beginning of this project to its completion, deserves documentation as well.
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The contributions of each group member, the bibliography for the sources used during the project and a brief reflection on the project as a whole. This infamous project taught us the invaluable skill of documentation, communication and delegation of group work and allowed us to produce our binder and website for the people of Philadelphia to spectate the work of Memucan Hunt Howard.
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