This REU Site award is to the University of Illinois for interdisciplinary scientific archaeological investigations of the first town planned and legally registered by an African-American in the United States. The town was established on the Midwestern frontier in the 19th century and grew as an integrated rural community until a regional railroad bypassed it in 1869. The REU Site's goal is to incorporate undergraduate students in the research design, data collection, and analysis of archaeological materials. The project will have alliances with the Illinois State Museum, DePaul University, the University of Maryland, the University of Illinois-Springfield, and the New Philadelphia Association, a local non-profit group. Broader Impact: This archaeological site was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2005. The project will expand knowledge on the understanding of how ethnicity and developing markets shape the course of community development.
