Karolyn Smardz Frost facts for kids
Karolyn Smardz Frost is a Canadian historian. This means she studies and writes about the past. She won a very important award called the Governor General's Award for English-language non-fiction in 2007. She received it for her book, I’ve Got a Home in Glory Land: A Lost Tale of the Underground Railroad. This book shares an important story about people seeking freedom.
Meet Karolyn Smardz Frost
Becoming a History Detective
Karolyn Smardz Frost is not only a historian but also an archaeologist and a university professor. An archaeologist is like a detective who digs up old things to learn about the past. She studied archaeology for her first university degree. Then, she earned a master's degree in Classical Studies, which is about ancient Greece and Rome. Finally, she got her PhD in Canadian History, focusing on Canada's past.
She also helped create the Archaeological Resource Centre in Toronto. This center teaches school children about archaeology. It helps them discover history in a fun, hands-on way!
Uncovering a Hidden Story
In 1985, Karolyn Smardz Frost did something special. She carefully dug up the home of Thornton and Lucie Blackburn. They were a couple who escaped slavery in the United States using the Underground Railroad. The Underground Railroad was a secret network of safe houses and routes. It helped enslaved people find freedom in Canada and other places.
After her archaeological work, Karolyn Smardz Frost wrote their amazing story. She shared it in her award-winning book, I’ve Got a Home in Glory Land: A Lost Tale of the Underground Railroad.
Her Books
Karolyn Smardz Frost has written several important books. They help us learn more about Canadian history and the brave people who shaped it.
- The underground railroad: next stop, Toronto! (2003) with Adrienne L Shadd and Afua Cooper
- I've got a home in glory land: a lost tale of the underground railroad (2007)
