The History Alive! program features scholars from around the state who portray historical figures. Born in Charles Town, Martin Delany moved to Pennsylvania with his family when his mother was threatened with imprisonment for allowing her children to learn to read and write. He was a leader in the anti-slavery movement and a superintendent of the Underground Railroad. He co-edited an abolitionist newspaper with Frederick Douglass and attended Harvard Medical College. Delany was a recruiter for the U.S. Colored Troops and in 1865 became the first black field officer when he was commissioned a major.r