THE HISTORY OF THE ROAD AND ITS CONNECTIONS TO THE COLD WAR, CIVIL RIGHTS, SOVIET UNION & PRES. KENNEDY
THUR., MAY 23, 2024, 6:30 p.m.
CECIL COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY – ELKTON BRANCH
BY MIKE DIXON
After tracing the history of Route 40 over generations, this program discusses how in the early 1960s the roadway between Baltimore and the Delaware Memorial Bridge became an unexpected battleground–a place where Cold War tensions, international diplomacy, and the civil rights movement intersected. Along this heavily traveled 63-mile stretch of road through northeastern Maryland and Delaware, powerful forces collided: communist propagandists, Jim Crow segregation, the Kennedy administration, and Freedom Riders. The spotlight fell on this unassuming highway as the Soviet Union and the United States vied for influence in Africa. From its origins to its enduring impact, we explore the road’s significance, shedding light on the complex interplay of unexpected global and domestic forces that shaped its story.
Free program, but registration is required for Trouble on Route 40.
Click the link for more information or to register for the program.
I was 6 years old the time the rt 40 picture was taken. I remember the rt 40 flea market. It was incredible with all the different type of things people were selling.