1254: "The Cost Beneath Our Feet"

Interesting Things with JC #1254: "The Cost Beneath Our Feet" – What happens when history is inconvenient? Across highways, housing tracts, and football fields, the dead have been displaced and dignity buried with them.

• Curriculum

  Episode Anchor

  Episode Title: "The Cost Beneath Our Feet"
  Episode Number: #1254
  Host: JC
  Audience: Grades 9–12, college intro, homeschool, lifelong learners
  Subject Area: U.S. History, Civics, Urban Studies, Sociology

  Lesson Overview

  Students will:

  • Define the historical and modern implications of grave relocation in U.S. infrastructure projects.

  • Compare examples of grave displacement across different cities and time periods.

  • Analyze the social, racial, and economic factors behind burial site removal.

  • Explain how infrastructure development can impact cultural memory and historical preservation.

  Key Vocabulary

  • Exhumation (ek-soo-MAY-shuhn) — The act of digging up something buried, especially a corpse. In the episode, exhumation is discussed as a widespread, often undocumented practice.

  • Potter’s Field (POT-erz FEELD) — A burial place for unknown or indigent people. One was uncovered beneath a high school football field in Cincinnati.

  • TVA (Tennessee Valley Authority) — A federally owned corporation created in the 1930s. It relocated thousands of graves to build dams and power plants.

  • Unmarked Grave (UN-markd GRAYV) — A burial site with no visible headstone or record. Many such graves belonged to enslaved people or the poor.

  • Colma (COAL-muh) — A town in California known for its cemeteries. It became the resting place for 150,000 relocated bodies from San Francisco.

  Narrative Core

  • Open: A haunting discovery in 1957—a highway crew unearths forgotten graves in St. Louis.

  • Info: A historical overview of how infrastructure projects displaced cemeteries from the 1830s onward.

  • Details: Specific cases from Fort Worth, Manhattan, Cincinnati, San Francisco, and TVA projects.

  • Reflection: Raises ethical questions about dignity, memory, and who gets to remain undisturbed.

  • Closing: "These are interesting things, with JC."

  Transcript

  • See Transcript Below

  Student Worksheet

  1. What happened in St. Louis in 1957 during a highway construction project?

  2. Why were graves relocated in cities like San Francisco and Manhattan?

  3. How did the Tennessee Valley Authority contribute to the displacement of burial sites?

  4. Describe the role local families played in preserving memory at the Oak Hill Plantation.

  5. Do you think cemeteries should ever be moved for public works? Why or why not?

  Teacher Guide

  Estimated Time:
  1–2 class periods (45–60 minutes each)

  Pre-Teaching Vocabulary Strategy:

  • Frayer models for “exhumation” and “potter’s field”

  • Image analysis of maps showing Colma and urban redevelopment zones

  Anticipated Misconceptions:

  • Students may assume all cemetery relocations were legally and ethically managed.

  • Misunderstanding that this practice is only historical, not ongoing.

  Discussion Prompts:

  • How do we decide which history is worth preserving?

  • Should land value override cultural or historical memory?

  • What does it mean for a society to protect dignity after death?

  Differentiation Strategies:

  • ESL: Use visual timelines and simplified vocabulary flashcards

  • IEP: Break down content into cause-and-effect maps

  • Gifted: Investigate international cases of cemetery relocation (e.g., London Crossrail discovery)

  Extension Activities:

  • Research local sites with a history of relocation or redevelopment

  • Write a reflective journal from the perspective of a descendant

  • Explore how laws about burial and property rights have evolved

  Cross-Curricular Connections:

  • Ethics: Debates on dignity, memory, and rights of the deceased

  • Geography: Mapping demographic and urban development over time

  • Civics: Role of government in land use decisions

  Quiz

  Q1. What was discovered during the 1957 highway construction outside St. Louis?
  A. A mass grave from a war
  B. Metal caskets from a forgotten cemetery
  C. Underground subway tunnels
  D. Artifacts from a Native American site
  Answer: B

  Q2. Why was Colma, California, created?
  A. For agricultural development
  B. As a housing community
  C. To relocate cemeteries from San Francisco
  D. For mining operations
  Answer: C

  Q3. What was one reason San Francisco removed its cemeteries in 1912?
  A. To build sports stadiums
  B. Public health concerns
  C. Earthquake damage
  D. Religious pressure
  Answer: B

  Q4. What does the term “potter’s field” refer to?
  A. A battlefield
  B. A cemetery for the wealthy
  C. A graveyard for unknown or poor people
  D. A pottery-making site
  Answer: C

  Q5. What organization was responsible for relocating over 69,000 graves?
  A. EPA
  B. Federal Highway Commission
  C. Tennessee Valley Authority
  D. Army Corps of Engineers
  Answer: C

  Assessment

  1. Explain how infrastructure projects have historically conflicted with burial sites. Use at least two examples from the episode.

  2. Analyze the ethical dilemmas faced when deciding whether to relocate cemeteries for development.

  3–2–1 Rubric
  3 = Accurate, complete, thoughtful
  2 = Partial or missing detail
  1 = Inaccurate or vague

  Standards Alignment

  U.S. Standards:

  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.11-12.1 — Cite strong textual evidence to support analysis of explicit and inferred content.

  • C3.D2.His.1.9-12 — Evaluate how historical events are interpreted and represented.

  • C3.D2.Civ.14.9-12 — Analyze historical and current policies related to land use and civic responsibility.

  • CTE.HU.2.5 — Evaluate ethical issues related to human services and public policy (re: urban planning and displacement).

  • ISTE 7a — Students use digital tools to locate information about historical issues, including archival maps and planning documents.

  UK Equivalent (AQA/A-Level History):

  • Component 1C (Britain: Authority and Identity) — Students investigate local and national changes in public space and civic authority.

  Cambridge IGCSE History:

  • Syllabus Code 0470, Objective AO3 — Interpret and evaluate a range of sources to analyze historical situations.

• Accordion Item 2

  Description text goes here

• Show Notes

  Show Notes

  This episode confronts the often-overlooked history of burial site displacement due to infrastructure and urban development in the U.S., raising important questions about cultural memory, justice, and the value placed on land versus legacy. With firsthand cases from St. Louis to San Francisco and Virginia, it invites learners to examine how decisions made in the name of progress can erase history—especially that of marginalized communities. A powerful entry point for discussions on ethics, civic planning, and historical accountability.

  Reference:

  Lavoie, D. (2018, October 15). Virginia town OKs construction at site of graves of enslaved people, sharecroppers. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/graves-sharecroppers-enslaved-oak-hill-virginia-50f649a31bef41c5f650b07d31cf7aa7

  This source provides direct reporting on the Oak Hill Plantation site in Virginia, referenced in Episode #1254, where unmarked graves of enslaved people and sharecroppers were uncovered during modern development.