- Ovaj članak opisuje povijesne rute bijega za američke robove. Vidjeti Javni prijevoz za podzemne željezničke sustave u doslovnom smislu.
The Podzemna željeznica je mreža različitih povijesnih putova kojima su afroamerički robovi bježali Ujedinjene države a ropstvo postizanjem slobode u Kanada ili drugih stranih teritorija. Danas mnoge stanice uz "željezničke pruge" služe kao muzeji i spomen obilježja putovanju bivših robova na sjever.
Shvati
- Vidi također: Rana povijest Sjedinjenih Država
Od svog rođenja kao neovisna nacija 1776. do izbijanja Građanski rat zbog tog pitanja 1861. godine Sjedinjene Države bile su nacija u kojoj je institucija ropstva prouzročila oštre podjele. Na jugu je ropstvo bilo oslonac agrarne ekonomije potaknute masivnim plantažama pamuka i ostalih radno intenzivnih usjeva. U međuvremenu, na sjeveru su ležale države poput Illinois, Indijana, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey i sve Nova Engleska, gdje je ropstvo bilo ilegalno i an abolicionist napredovao je pokret moralno (i ekonomski) suprotstavljen ropstvu. Između njih ležale su takozvane "pogranične države", raširene na zapad prema istoku, sredinom zemlje od Missouri kroz Kentucky, Zapadna Virginia, Maryland i Okrug Columbia do Delaware, gdje je ropstvo bilo legalno, ali kontroverzno, s ukidanjem simpatija koje nisu bile nepoznate među stanovništvom.
Sredinom 19. stoljeća, krhki zastoj koji je karakterizirao odnose Sjever-Jug u ranijim desetljećima ustupio je mjesto sve većim napetostima. Glavna bljeskalica bio je Zakon o odbjeglom robovu iz 1850. godine, savezni zakon koji je dopuštao da se odbjegli robovi otkriveni u slobodnim državama prisilno prevezu natrag u ropstvo na Jugu. U sjevernim državama, koje su već okončale ropstvo unutar vlastitih granica, novi zakon shvaćen je kao masovno uvreda - tim više što su se priče o nasilnim otmicama profesionalnih robnih slavlja počele širiti u javnosti. Kako se savezni zakon mogao primijeniti na inače slobodne države zbog lokalnih prigovora, svi odbjegli robovi koji su stigli do sjevernih država odjednom su imali opravdanih razloga da nastave prema Kanadi, gdje je ropstvo već dugo bilo zabranjeno - a razne su skupine brzo pronašle motivaciju, kao načelo ili vjerskog uvjerenja, da poduzmu znatne rizike kako bi pomogli svom izlasku sa sjevera.
Crni su robovi koristili razne rute za bijeg na slobodu. Neki su pobjegli na jug od Teksas do Meksiko ili iz Florida do raznih točaka u Karibi, ali velika većina ruta vodila je prema sjeveru kroz slobodne države prema Kanadi ili drugim britanskim teritorijima. Nekolicina je pobjegla preko New Brunswick do nova Škotska (geto Africville postojao je u Halifax do 1960-ih), ali najkraće, najpopularnije rute prelazile su Ohio, što je razdvajalo ropstvo u Kentuckyju od slobode Jezero Erie u Gornja Kanada.
Ovaj se egzodus poklapa s velikim spekulativnim procvatom u izgradnji putničke željeznice kao nove tehnologije (glavna pruga Grand Trunk iz Montreal kroz Toronto otvoren 1856.), pa je ova labava intermodalna mreža lako usvojila željezničku terminologiju. Oni koji su regrutirali robove da traže slobodu bili su "agenti", stanice za skrivanje ili odmaranje usput su bile "stanice" sa svojim vlasnicima kuća "šefovima stanica", a oni koji su financirali napore "dioničari". Abolicionistički vođe bili su "dirigenti", od kojih je najpoznatija bivša robinja Harriet Tubman, pohvalna za njezin trud u vođenju tristo iz Marylanda i Delawarea kroz Philadelphia i prema sjeveru preko države New York do slobode u Kanadi. U nekim su dijelovima "putnici" putovali pješice ili skriveni u konjskim zapregama prema sjevernim tamnim zimskim noćima; u drugima su putovali brodom ili konvencionalnom željeznicom. Vjerske skupine (poput kvakera, Društva prijatelja) bile su istaknute u abolicionističkom pokretu, a pjesme popularne među robovima spominjale su biblijske Izlazak iz Egipat. U stvari, Tubman je bio "Mojsije", a Velika medvjedica i sjeverna zvijezda Polaris pokazali su na obećanu zemlju.
Podzemna željeznica bila je relativno kratkog vijeka: izbijanje američkog građanskog rata 1861. godine stvorilo je ratnu zonu od većine pograničnih država, čineći ionako opasan prolaz još više istodobno eliminirajući potrebu za daljnjim egzodusom iz sjevernih država u Kanadu; do 1865. rat je gotov i ropstvo je eliminirano u cijeloj zemlji. Ipak, zapamćeno je kao ključno poglavlje američke povijesti općenito, a posebno afroameričke povijesti, s mnogim bivšim postajama i drugim mjestima sačuvanim kao muzeji ili povijesne atrakcije.
Pripremiti
Iako postoje različiti putovi i značajne razlike u udaljenosti, egzodus koji slijedi put Harriet Tubman pokriva više od 800 km (800 km) od Marylanda i Delawarea preko Pennsylvanije i New Yorka do Ontarija u Kanadi.
Povijesno gledano, građanima bilo koje zemlje bilo je moguće i relativno lako prijeći američko-kanadsku granicu bez putovnice. U 21. stoljeću to uglavnom više nije istina; Sigurnost granica postala je stroža u eri nakon 11. rujna 2001. godine.
Danas američki državljani trebaju putovnicu, američku putovnicu, karticu Programa pouzdanih putnika ili pojačanu vozačku dozvolu da bi se iz Kanade vratili u Sjedinjene Države. Dodatni se zahtjevi primjenjuju na stalne stanovnike SAD-a i državljane trećih zemalja; pogledajte pojedine članke o zemljama (Kanada # Uđi i Sjedinjene Američke Države # Uđi) ili provjerite Kanadska pravila i Američka pravila za potrebne dokumente.
Iako se ovdje opisane rute mogu provoditi uglavnom kopnenim putem, povijesno točan prikaz prometa u para ere cestovno putovanje zaostalo bi zaostajalo za njim parne željeznice i brodovi koji su bili čuda njihova vremena. Ceste, kakve su bile, bile su tek nešto više od blatnjavih zemljanih staza koje su u najboljem slučaju odgovarale konju i kolima; često je bilo brže ploviti duž Atlantsko more umjesto pokušaja ekvivalentne kopnene rute. Povijesno istinsko putovanje podzemnom željeznicom bilo bi bizarna intermodalna kombinacija svega, od konjskih zaprega do riječnih teglenica do primitivnih teretnih vlakova do bijega pješice ili kupanja preko Mississippi. Na nekim mjestima gdje su rute povijesno prelazile Velika jezera, danas nema zakazanog trajekta.
The razne knjige napisan nakon građanskog rata (kao što je Wilbur Henry Siebert Podzemna željeznica od ropstva do slobode: sveobuhvatna povijest) opisuju stotine paralelnih ruta i bezbroj starih domova u kojima je mogla biti smještena "stanica" u doba procvata egzodusa prema sjeveru, ali u osnovi nema cjelovitog popisa svega. Kako je mreža djelovala tajno, malo istodobnih zapisa sa sigurnošću ukazuje kakvu je točno ulogu igrala svaka pojedina figura ili mjesto - ako je bilo - u doba antebelluma. Većina izvornih "stanica" samo su stare kuće koje izgledaju poput bilo kojeg drugog doma tog doba; od onih koji još uvijek stoje, mnogi više nisu sačuvani na povijesno precizan način ili su privatne rezidencije koje više nisu otvorene za putnike. Lokalni ili nacionalni povijesni registar može navesti desetak objekata u jednoj županiji, ali samo je mala manjina povijesnih crkava, muzeja, spomenika ili znamenitosti koji pozivaju posjetitelje da učine nešto više od vožnje i kratkog pogleda izvana.
Ovaj članak navodi mnoge najvažnije dijelove, ali sam po sebi nikada neće biti sveobuhvatan.
Uđi
Najčešća mjesta ulaska u mrežu podzemne željeznice bile su pogranične države koje su predstavljale podjelu između slobodnih i robova: Maryland; Virginia, uključujući i ono što je danas Zapadna Virginia; i Kentucky. Do velikog dijela ovog teritorija može se lako doći Washington DC.. Tubmanovo putovanje, na primjer, započinje u okrugu Dorchester, na Istočna obala Marylanda i vodi prema sjeveru Wilmington i Philadelphiji.
| “ | Naći ćemo se ujutro. Vezana sam za obećanu zemlju. | ” |
—Harriet Tubman | ||
Ići
Postoji više ruta i više polaznih točaka za ulazak u ovaj vlak; ovdje navedeni samo su zapaženi primjeri.
Tubmanova Pensilvanija, Auburn i Niagarska željeznica
Ova ruta vodi kroz Pennsylvaniju i New York, kroz različita mjesta povezana s "kondukterom" podzemne željeznice Harriet Tubman (pobjegla 1849., aktivna do 1860.) i njezinim suvremenicima. Rođen kao rob u Okrugu Dorchester, Maryland, Tubman su pretukli i šibali njezini gospodari iz djetinjstva; pobjegla je u Philadelphiju 1849. Vraćajući se u Maryland kako bi spasila svoju obitelj, na kraju je vodila na desetke drugih robova na slobodu, putujući noću u iznimnoj tajnosti.
Maryland
Cambridge, Maryland - Tubmanino rodno mjesto i početna točka njezine rute - odvojen je od Washingtona, zalivom Chesapeake, i udaljen je približno 140 km jugoistočno od glavnog grada putem US 50:
- 1 Nacionalni spomenik podzemne željeznice Harriet Tubman, 4068 Golden Hill Rd., Church Creek (17,2 km južno od Cambridgea državnim cestama 16 i 335), ☏ 1 410 221-2290. Svakog dana od 9 do 17 sati. Nacionalni spomenik od 17 hektara (7 ha) s posjetiteljskim centrom koji sadrži eksponate o Tubmanovom ranom životu i eksploatacijama kao dirigent Podzemne željeznice. Uz nacionalni rezervat za divlje životinje Blackwater, ovaj se krajolik malo promijenio od dana podzemne željeznice. Besplatno.
- 2 Organizacija Harriet Tubman, 424 Race St., Cambridge, ☏ 1 410 228-0401. Smješten u staroj zgradi u centru Cambridgea, ovaj muzej povijesnih suvenira otvoren je prema dogovoru. Tu je i priloženi društveni centar s punom ponudom kulturnih i obrazovnih programa u vezi s Harriet Tubman i Podzemnom željeznicom.
Delaware
Kao što je opisano Wilburu Siebertu 1897. godine, dijelu Tubmanova staza iz 1 Cambridge sjeverno od Philadelphije čini se da je cestovno putovanje (190 km) kopnenim putem 2 Istočno novo tržište i 3 Vrat od topole na liniju države Delaware, zatim putem 4 Sandtown, 5 Vrbak, 6 Camden, 7 Dover, 8 Smirna, 9 Kos, 10 Odesa, 11 Novi dvorac, i 12 Wilmington. Za dosezanje je trebalo dodatnih 48 km 13 Philadelphia. Dio rute u Delawareu prati potpisano Harriet Tubman Podzemna željeznica Scenic Byway, gdje su istaknuta različita mjesta podzemne željeznice.
- 3 Kuća sastanka prijatelja Appoquinimink, 624 Main St., Odesa. Otvoreno za usluge 1. i 3. ned svakog mjeseca, 10:00. Ciglanska molitveni dom iz 1785. koja je služila kao stanica na podzemnoj željeznici pod vodstvom Johna Hunna i Thomasa Garretta. Druga je priča imala uklonjivu ploču koja je vodila u prostore ispod strehe; do podruma se dolazilo malim bočnim otvorom u razini tla.
- 4 [ranije mrtva veza]Stara dvorska kuća u Novom dvorcu, 211 Delaware St., Novi dvorac, ☏ 1 302 323-4453. Utorak, 10:00 - 16:30, Ned 1: 30-4: 30 PM. Jedan od najstarijih preživjelih sudova u Sjedinjenim Državama, sagrađen kao mjesto sastanka Delawareove kolonijalne i prve državne skupštine (kada je Novi dvorac bio glavni grad Delawarea, 1732.-1777.). Kondukterima podzemne željeznice Thomasu Garrettu i Johnu Hunnu ovdje je suđeno i osuđeni su 1848. godine zbog kršenja Zakona o odbjeglom robovu, bankrotirajući ih novčanim kaznama koje su samo učvrstile osjećaje zbog ropstva svih uključenih. Donacija.
Granica između robova i slobodnih država bila je linija Mason-Dixon:
- 5 Mason-Dixon linija, Tržnica Mason-Dixon, 18166 Susquehanna Trail South, Shrewsbury, Pennsylvania. Betonski stup označava granicu između Marylanda i Pennsylvanije u Shrewsburyju, gdje su robovi pušteni na slobodu nakon prelaska u Pennsylvania tijekom Američki građanski rat. Vlasnici poljoprivrednih tržnica mogu podijeliti priče o kućama podzemne željeznice i drugim stanicama za robove između Marylanda i Pennsylvanije. Slobodno stanite i fotografirajte se betonskim flomasterom.
Pennsylvania
Prva "slobodna" država na ruti, Pennsylvania je ukinula ropstvo 1847. godine.
Philadelphia, savezni glavni grad tijekom većeg dijela ere Georgea Washingtona, bila je leglo ukidanja, a Zakon o postupnom ukidanju ropstva, koji je donijela državna vlada u ožujku 1780. godine, prvi je zabranio daljnji uvoz robova u državu. Iako su rupa izuzele članove Kongresa u Philadelphiji, George i Martha Washington (kao vlasnici robova) skrupulozno su izbjegavali provesti šest ili više mjeseci u Pennsylvaniji da ne bi bili prisiljeni dati svojim robovima slobodu. Ona Judge, kći roba koju je naslijedila Martha Washington, pribojavala se da će je nasilno vratiti u Virginiju na kraju predsjedanja Washingtona; uz pomoć lokalnih slobodnih crnaca i abolicionista stavljena je na brod New Hampshire i sloboda.
1849. Henry Brown (1815. - 1897.) pobjegao je iz ropstva u Virginiji, dogovorivši se da će se u drvenom sanduku poslati abolicionistima u Philadelphiji. Odatle se preselio u Engleska od 1850.-1875. da bi pobjegao od Zakona o odbjeglom robovu, postajući mađioničar, showman i otvoreni abolicionist.
- 6 Povijesno mjesto Johnson House, 6306 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia, ☏ 1 215 438-1768. Subota od 13:00 do 17:00 tijekom cijele godine, ponedjeljak od 10:00 do 16:00, od 02. veljače do 9. lipnja i od 7. rujna do 24. studenog, samo po dogovoru. Obilazak kreće svakih 60 minuta u 15 minuta iza sata, a posljednja tura kreće u 15:15. Bivša sigurna kuća i konoba na području Germantowna, u koju su dolazili Harriet Tubman i William Still, jedna od 17 stanica podzemne željeznice u Pennsylvaniji navedenih u lokalnom vodiču Podzemna željeznica: Staza do slobode. Ipak je bio afroamerički abolicionist, činovnik i član Pennsylvania Anti-Rovery Society. U ponudi su jednosatna razgledavanja. 8 dolara, seniori 55 dolara, djeca 12 i manje od 4 dolara.
- 7 Dvorac Belmont, 2000. Belmont Mansion Dr., Philadelphia, ☏ 1 215 878-8844. Tu-F 11:00 - 17:00, ljetni vikendi po dogovoru. Povijesni dvorac u Philadelphiji s muzejom podzemne željeznice. 7 dolara, studentska / starija 5 dolara.
- 8 Podzemni željeznički centar Christiana, 11 Green St., Christiana, ☏ 1 610 593-5340. M-Ž 9:00 - 16:00. 1851. godine skupina od 38 lokalnih Afroamerikanaca i bijelih abolicionista napala je i ubila Edwarda Gorsucha, ropca iz Marylanda, koji je stigao u grad progoneći četiri svoja odbjegla roba, i ranio dvoje njegovih suputnika. Optuženi su za izdaju zbog kršenja zakona o odbjeglom robovu, a u Zercherovom hotelu se odvijalo suđenje. Danas je u bivšem hotelu muzej koji pripovijeda o povijesti onoga što je postalo poznato kao Otpor u Christiani. Besplatno.
- 9 [mrtva veza]Afroamerički muzej u Srednjoj Pensilvaniji, 119 N. 10. sv., Čitanje, ☏ 1 610 371-8713, faks: 1 610 371-8739. Z & Ž 10:30 - 13:30, Ned zatvoreno, sve ostale dane prema dogovoru. Nekadašnja crkva Bethel AME u Readingu nekad je bila stanica na podzemnoj željeznici, a sada je to muzej s detaljima povijesti zajednice crnaca i podzemne željeznice u središnjoj Pensilvaniji. 8 USD, stariji građani i studenti s ID 6 USD, djeca od 5 do 12 USD, djeca do 4 godine besplatno. Obilazak s vodičem 10 USD.
- 10 Kuća i muzej Williama Goodridgea, 123 E. Philadelphia St., York, ☏ 1 717 848-3610. Prvi F svakog mjeseca od 16:00 do 20:00 i po dogovoru. Rođen u ropstvu u Marylandu, William C. Goodridge postao je istaknuti biznismen za kojeg se sumnja da je skrivao odbjegle robove u jednom od teretnih automobila svog vagona Reliance Line. Njegova zgodna kuća od dva i pol kata od opeke u predgrađu centra Yorka sada je muzej posvećen njegovoj životnoj priči.
Dok Pennsylvania graniči s Kanadom preko jezera Erie u njegovom najsjeverozapadnijem kutu, tragači za slobodom koji su stizali iz istočnih gradova uglavnom su nastavili kopnom preko države New York do Kanade. Dok bi Harriet Tubman pobjegla izravno na sjever iz Philadelphije, mnogi su drugi putnici prelazili u Pennsylvaniju na više točaka duž linije Mason-Dixon gdje je država graničila s Marylandom i dijelom Virginije (danas zapadne Virginije). To je stvorilo mnogo paralelnih linija koje su vodile prema sjeveru kroz središnju i zapadnu Pennsylvaniju do države New York Južni nivo.
- 1 Fairfield Inn 1757, 15 W. Main St., Fairfield (13 km zapadno od Gettysburg putem Ruta 116), ☏ 1 717 642-5410. Najstarija gostionica s kontinuiranim radom na području Gettysburga, koja datira iz 1757. Robovi bi se sakrili na trećem katu nakon puzanja kroz otvore i zamka. Danas je izrezan prozor koji otkriva gdje su se robovi skrivali dok je gostionica bila "sigurna stanica" na podzemnoj željeznici. 160 dolara po noćenju.
- 11 Stari zatvor, 175 E. King St., Chambersburg, ☏ 1 717 264-1667. Tu-Sa (svibanj-listopad), Th-Sa (tijekom cijele godine): 10:00 - 16:00, posljednja turneja 15:00. Izgrađen 1818. godine, zatvor je preživio napad u kojem su Konfederati 1864. spalili Chambersburg. Pet podzemnih tamnica u podrumu imalo je prstenove u zidovima i podovima kako bi okovio nesretne zatvorenike; ove su se stanice možda također potajno koristile za utočište odbjeglih robova koji putuju u slobodu na sjeveru. 5 dolara, djeca 6 i više dolara, obitelji 10 dolara.
- 12 Povijesni centar podzemne željeznice Blairsville, 214 E. South Ln., Blairsville (27 km / 27 km južno od Indijana, Pennsylvania putem 119), ☏ 1 724 459-0580. Svibanj-listopad po dogovoru. Zgrada Druge baptističke crkve datira Podzemnu željeznicu za više od pola stoljeća - sagrađena je 1917. godine - ali je najstarija građevina u vlasništvu crnaca u gradu Blairsvilleu, a danas služi kao povijesni muzej s dva izložaka koja se odnose na ropstvo i emancipaciju: "Sloboda u zraku" govori o abolicionistima iz okruga Indiana i njihovim naporima da pomognu bjeguncima robovi, dok je naslov "Dan u životu porobljenog djeteta" samorazumljiv.
- 13 Groblje na cesti slobode, Freedom Rd., Općina Loyalsock (1,5 km / 2,4 km sjeverno od Williamsport preko ulice Market i Bloomingrove ceste). Daniel Hughes (1804.-1880.) Bio je splavar koji je prevozio drvnu građu iz Williamsporta u Havre de Grace, Maryland na zapadnom kraku rijeke Susquehanna, skrivajući odbjegle robove u spremištu svoje teglenice na povratku. Njegova je farma sada majušna Građanski rat groblje, posljednje počivalište devet afroameričkih vojnika. Iako postoji povijesna oznaka, ovo mjesto (preimenovano iz Nigger Hollow u Freedom Road 1936. godine) malo je i lako ga je propustiti.
Međutim, najpopularnija opcija bila je pratiti obalu od Philadelphije do New York City na putu do Albany ili Boston.
Država New York
Odbjegli robovi bili su na prijateljskom terenu u saveznoj državi New York, jednoj od najvjernijih regija ukidanja države.
- 14 [mrtva veza]Rezidencija Stephena i Harriet Myers, 194. Livingston Ave., Albany, ☏ 1 518 432-4432. Obilasci M-Ž 17-20, subota 16:00 ili po dogovoru. Stephen Myers bio je bivši rob koji je postao oslobođenik i abolicionist, a bio je središnja figura u lokalnoj podzemnoj željeznici, a od svih nekoliko kuća koje je sredinom 19. stoljeća naseljavao u albanskoj četvrti Arbor Hill, ovo je jedina koja je još uvijek postoji. Tada dotrajala kuća spašena je od kule razbijanja 1970-ih, a restauratorski radovi su u tijeku, ali zasad posjetitelji mogu uživati u razgledavanju kuće i malom, ali vrijednom naslonu muzejskih postavki na Myersu, dr. Thomasu Elkinsu i drugi istaknuti članovi Odbora za budnost Albanyja od ukidanja. 10 USD, seniori 8 USD, djeca 5-12 USD 5.
U Albanyu je postojalo više mogućnosti. Bjegunci su mogli nastaviti prema sjeveru do Montreala ili Quebec's Istočni gradovi preko jezera Champlain, ili bi (češće) mogli skrenuti prema zapadu duž Erie kanal redati Sirakuza do Oswego, Rochester, Buffalo, ili Slapovi Niagare.
- 15 Ured posjeda i zemljišta Gerrit Smith, 5304 Oxbow Rd., Peterboro (15,1 km istočno od Cazenovia preko županijskih ruta 28 i 25), ☏ 1 315 280-8828. Muzej Sa-Su od 13 do 17 sati, krajem svibnja i krajem kolovoza, svakodnevno osvanu u sumrak. Smith je bio predsjednik Newyorškog društva za borbu protiv ropstva (1836. - 1839.) i "šef stanice" na Podzemnoj željeznici u 1840. i 1850-ima. Prostrano imanje na kojem je živio tijekom svog života danas je muzejski kompleks s unutarnjim i vanjskim eksponatima o tragačima za slobodom, bogatstvom Gerrit Smitha, čovjekoljubljem i obitelji te Podzemnom željeznicom.
Sirakuza je bila ukinuto uporište zbog čijeg je središnjeg mjesta to postalo "veliko središnje skladište na podzemnoj željeznici" kroz koje su mnogi robovi prolazili svojim putem do slobode.
- 16 Spomenik za spašavanje Jerryja, Clinton Square, Sirakuza. Tijekom državne konvencije 1851. Stranke slobode protiv ropstva 1851., bijesna svjetina od nekoliko stotina abolicionista uhapsila je pobjeglog roba Williama "Jerryja" Henryja iz zatvora; odatle je tajno prevezen u grad Meksiko u New Yorku i tamo skriven dok ga jedne tamne noći nisu mogli ukrcati na britansko-kanadski drvni brod za prijevoz preko jezera Ontario do Kingston. Devetero onih koji su pomogli u bijegu (uključujući dva ministra religije) pobjeglo je u Kanadu; od dvadeset i devet kojima je suđeno u Sirakuzi, svi su osim jednog oslobođeni. Zatvor više ne stoji, ali na Clinton Squareu postoji spomenik u spomen na ove važne događaje.
U tom su području putnici koji su iz Pennsylvanije stizali preko Južnog sloja putovali Itaka i jezero Cayuga da se pridruže glavnoj ruti na Auburn, grad zapadno od Sirakuze u SAD-u 20. Harriet Tubman ovdje je živjela počevši od 1859. godine, osnivajući dom za starije osobe.
- 17 Crkva sv. Jakova AME Zion, 116 Cleveland Ave., Itaka, ☏ 1 607 272-4053. M-Sa 9:00 - 17:00 ili po dogovoru. Afrička metodistička episkopalna crkva Sion osnovana je početkom 1800-ih u New Yorku kao izdanak Metodističke episkopalne crkve kako bi služila crnim župljanima koji su se u to vrijeme susreli s otvorenim rasizmom u postojećim crkvama. Sveti Jakov, osnovan 1836. godine, bio je stanica na podzemnoj željeznici, bio je domaćin službama kojima su prisustvovali afroamerički svetiljci iz 19. stoljeća poput Harriet Tubman i Frederick Douglass, a 1906. godine ugostio je skupinu učenika koji su osnovali Alpha Phi Alpha, najstariju u državi. službeno crno bratstvo.
- 18 Kuća Harriet Tubman, 180 South St., Auburn, ☏ 1 315 252-2081. Uto-F 10:00 - 16:00, Sub 10:00 - 15:00. Poznata kao "Mojsije njezinog naroda", Tubman se nakon Građanskog rata nastanila u Auburnu u ovoj skromnoj, ali zgodnoj zidanoj kući, gdje je također vodila dom za ostarjele i siromašne Afroamerikance. Danas je to muzej u kojem se nalazi zbirka povijesnih suvenira. 4,50 USD, stariji (60) i studenti 3 USD, djeca 6-17 1,50 USD.
- 19 Crkva Thompsona AME Zion, 33 Parker St., Auburn. Zatvoreno za restauracije. Afrička metodistička biskupska sionska crkva iz 1891. godine u kojoj je Harriet Tubman prisustvovala bogoslužjima; kasnije je spomenutom Domu za starije osobe predala crkvu na upravljanje nakon njezine smrti.
- 20 Groblje Fort Hill, Tvrđava 19, Auburn, ☏ 1 315 253-8132. M-Ž 9:00 - 13:00. Smješteno na brdu s pogledom na Auburn, Indijanci su ovo mjesto koristili za nakopa humki već 1100. godine. Uključuje groblja Harriet Tubman, kao i niz drugih lokalnih povijesnih svjetiljki. Web stranica uključuje kartu za ispis i samostalno vođenu šetnju.
Glavna se ruta nastavlja prema zapadu prema Buffalu i Niagarskim slapovima, koji su i danas najprometniji prelazi na granici Ontario-New York. (Alternativni pravci uključivali su prelazak jezera Ontario iz Oswega ili Rochestera.)
- 21 Povijesni muzej Palmyra, 132 Market St., Vrsta indijske palme, ☏ 1 315 597-6981. Tu-Th 10:00 - 17:00 tijekom cijele godine, Tu-Sa 11:00 - 16:00 u visokoj sezoni. Jedan od pet zasebnih muzeja u povijesnom muzejskom kompleksu Palmyra; svaki predstavlja drugačiji aspekt života u staroj Palmiri. Glavni muzej sadrži razne stalne postavke o lokalnoj povijesti, uključujući Podzemnu željeznicu. 3 dolara, stariji 2 dolara, djeca do 12 godina besplatno.
Rochester, dom Fredericka Douglassa i mnoštvo drugih abolicionista, također je omogućio prolaz izbjeglicama do Kanade, ako su uspjeli krenuti do Kelsey's Landinga sjeverno od Donjih slapova Geneseea. U gradu je bilo niz sigurnih kuća, uključujući Douglassin vlastiti dom.
- 22 Muzej i znanstveni centar Rochester, 657 East Ave., Rochester, ☏ 1 585 271-4320. M-Sa 9:00 - 17:00, Ned 11:00 - 17:00. Rochesterov interaktivni muzej znanosti ima polustalan postav pod nazivom Let za slobodu: podzemna željeznica Rochestera. Djeci omogućuje uvid u priču o željeznici očima izmišljenog djeteta koje je pobjeglo u Kanadu. Odrasli 15 USD, stariji / fakulteti 14 USD, uzrast 3-18 USD 13, mlađi od 3 godine besplatno.
Cijela međunarodna granica Ontarija je voda. Bilo je nekoliko trajekata u mjestima poput Buffala, ali infrastruktura je bila oskudna. Slapovi Niagare imao 825 stopa (251 m) željeznički viseći most koji se spajao s Kanadom i SAD-om gradovi blizanci ispod slapova.
- 23 Muzej umjetnosti Castellani, 5795 Lewiston Rd., Niagarski slapovi, ☏ 1 716 286-8200, faks: 1 716 286-8289. Uto-Sa 11:00 - 17:00, Ned 13:00 - 17:00. Dio stalne zbirke umjetničke galerije kampusa sveučilišta Niagara je "Prelazak slobode: podzemna željeznica u Velikoj Niagari", koji govori o pokretu podzemne željeznice na Granica Niagare.
- 24 [mrtva veza]Interpretativni centar podzemne željeznice Falls Niagara, 2245 Whirlpool St., Niagarski slapovi (pored Whirlpoolovog mosta i stanice Amtrak). Uto-Z & F-Sa 10:00 - 18:00, 10:00 - 20:00, Ned 10:00 - 16:00. Nekadašnja američka carinarnica (1863.-1962.) Danas je muzej posvećen povijesti podzemne željeznice Niagarske granice. Izložbe uključuju rekreaciju "Kuće katarakte", jednog od najvećih hotela u vodopadima Niagare u to vrijeme čija je većinom afroamerička konobarica pomogla odbjeglim robovima na posljednjem dijelu putovanja. 10 USD, srednjoškolci i studenti s ID 8 USD, djeca 6-12 USD 6.
- 25 Lokalitet visećeg mosta na slapovima Niagara. Izgrađen 1848. godine, ovaj prvi viseći most preko rijeke Niagare bio je posljednja etapa na vlastitom putovanju Harriet Tubman od ropstva u Marylandu do slobode u Kanadi, a tijekom sljedećeg desetljeća vraćala bi se mnogo puta kao "kondukter" za ostale izbjeglice. Nakon 1855. godine, kada je prenamijenjen u željeznički most, robovi bi se krijumčarili preko granice u automobilima za stoku ili prtljagu. Mjesto je sada Whirlpool Bridge.
Na sjeveru je Lewiston, mogući prijelaz do Niagara na jezeru u Kanadi:
- 26 [mrtva veza]Prva prezbiterijanska crkva i seosko groblje, 505 Cayuga St., Lewiston, ☏ 1 716 794-4945. Otvoreno za usluge Ned 11:15. Skulptura ispred najstarije crkve Lewiston (podignuta 1835.) prisjeća se istaknute uloge koju je imala u Podzemnoj željeznici.
- 27 Spomenik prelasku slobode (U Lewiston Landing Parku, na zapadnoj strani N. Water St. između Centra i Onondaga sv.). Skulptura na otvorenom na obali rijeke Niagare, na kojoj je prikazan lokalni šef stanice podzemne željeznice Josiah Tryon, koji oduševljava obitelj tražitelja slobode na njihovom konačnom pristupu Kanadi. Tryon je upravljao svojom stanicom iz Kuće sedam podruma, rezidencije svog brata sjeverno od središta sela (još uvijek postojeće, ali ne i otvorene za javnost), gdje je niz stepenica vodio od višerazinske mreže međusobno povezanih podruma do riječne obale. , odakle bi Tryon prebacivao bijegnike preko rijeke kako je prikazano na skulpturi.
Na jugu je Buffalo, nasuprot Tvrđava Erie u Ontariju:
- 28 Baptistička crkva u ulici Michigan, 511 Michigan Ave., Buffalo, ☏ 1 716 854-7976. Ovo je najstarije imanje koje su Afroamerikanci kontinuirano posjedovali, upravljali i zauzimali u Buffalu povijesna crkva služio kao stanica na Podzemnoj željeznici. Povijesne ture nude se po dogovoru. $5.
- 29 Broderick Park (na rijeci Niagari na kraju ulice West Ferry), ☏ 1 716 218-0303. Mnogo godina prije izgradnje Mosta mira na jugu, veza između Buffala i utvrde Erie bila je trajektom, a mnogi odbjegli robovi prešli su rijeku do Kanade na taj način. Na mjestu se nalaze spomen-i povijesne ploče koje prikazuju značaj mjesta, kao i povijesne rekonstrukcije s vremena na vrijeme.
Kao što je ranije spomenuto, neki su se bijegovi umjesto toga približili s juga, prolazeći iz zapadne Pennsylvanije kroz južni nivo prema granici.
- 30 [ranije mrtva veza]Kuća pionira Howe-Prescott, 3031 Ruta 98 Jug, Franklinville, ☏ 1 716 676-2590. Su lipanj-kolovoz po dogovoru. Izgrađena oko 1814. godine od obitelji istaknutih abolicionista, ova je kuća služila kao stanica na podzemnoj željeznici u godinama prije građanskog rata. Povijesno društvo Dolina Ischua obnovilo je ovo mjesto kao pionirsko domaćinstvo, s izložbama i demonstracijama koje ilustriraju život u ranim danima bijelog naseljavanja u zapadnom New Yorku.
Ontario
Kraj reda je Svete Katarine u Ontariju Regija Niagara.
- 31 Britanska metodistička episkopalna crkva, kapela Salem, Ulica Geneva 92, St. Catharines, ☏ 1 905-682-0993. Usluge Su 11:00, vođene ture po dogovoru. Sveta Katarina bila je jedan od glavnih kanadskih gradova u kojem su se smjestili odbjegli američki robovi - Harriet Tubman i njezina obitelj živjeli su tamo desetak godina prije nego što su se vratili u SAD i nastanili u Auburnu u New Yorku - a ova jednostavna, ali zgodna drvena crkva bila je sagrađena 1851. godine da im služi kao bogomolja. Sada je navedeno kao nacionalno povijesno mjesto Kanade, a nekoliko je ploča postavljeno ispred zgrade objašnjavajući njezinu povijest.
- 32 Negro groblje, Niagara na jezeru (istočna strana ulice Mississauga između Ivana i Marije sv.), ☏ 1 905-468-3266. Baptistička crkva Niagara - kuća za klanjanje zajednice izbjeglih iz podzemne željeznice Niagare na jezeru - davno je nestala, ali groblje na nekadašnjem mjestu, gdje su pokopani mnogi njezini džematli, ostalo je.
- 33 Griffin House, 733 Mineral Springs Rd., Ancaster, ☏ 1 905-648-8144. Ne 13-16 sati, srpanj-rujan. Odbjegli rob Virginije Enerals Griffin pobjegao je u Kanadu 1834. i nastanio se u gradu Ancaster kao poljoprivrednik; njegova seljačka kuća od grubo klesanog trupaca sada je vraćena u svoj prvobitni izgled. Pješačke staze vode natrag u lijepu dolinu Dundas i niz slapova. Donacija.
Regija Niagara sada je dio Zlatna potkova, najgušće naseljeni dio provincije. Dalje, Tranzitna komisija iz Toronta (☏ 1 416-393-INFO (4636)) vodi godišnji Podzemna vožnja vlakom slobode u spomen na Dan emancipacije. Vlak kreće iz kolodvora Union u centar Toronta na vrijeme da stigne do Sheppard West (bivši sjeverozapadni kraj linije) nešto iza ponoći 1. kolovoza. Proslave uključuju pjevanje, čitanje poezije i sviranje bubnjeva.
Linija Ohio
Kentucky, državu robova, rijeka Ohio odvaja od Indiane i Ohaja. Zbog položaja Ohaja (koji graniči s najjužnijom točkom Kanade preko jezera Erie), više paralelnih linija vodilo je prema sjeveru preko države do slobode u Gornjoj Kanadi. Neki su prolazili kroz Indianu do Ohia, dok su drugi u Ohio ulazili izravno iz Kentuckyja.
Indijana
Izravno preko rijeke od Louisville, Kentucky, grad Novi Albany služio kao jedno od glavnih prijelaza rijeka za bjegunce koji su išli prema sjeveru.
- 34 Crkva gradskog sata, 300 E. Main St., New Albany, ☏ 1 812 945-3814. Usluge Su 11:00, izleti po dogovoru. U ovoj obnovljenoj grčkoj preporodnoj crkvi 1852. godine bila je smještena Druga prezbiterijanska crkva, stanica podzemne željeznice čiji je prepoznatljivi toranj sa satima signalizirao mjesto New Albanyja brodarima na rijeci Ohio. Sada dom afroameričke kongregacije i predmet napora za prikupljanje sredstava usmjerenih na vraćanje zgradi prvobitnog sjaja nakon godina zanemarivanja, crkva je domaćin redovnih službi, vođenih obilazaka po dogovoru i povremenih povijesnih komemoracija i drugih događaja.
Indianapolis udaljen je 210 km (210 km) prema sjeveru; Ribari i Westfield jesu među svojim predgrađima.
- 35 Muzej prenije Conner, 13400 Allisonville Rd., Ribari, ☏ 1 317 776-6000, besplatni: 1-800 966-1836. Provjerite raspored web stranica. Dom kazališnog programa "Slijedi zvijezdu Sjevericu" - povijesno-povijesna rekonstrukcija, gdje sudionici putuju u 1836. godinu i preuzimaju ulogu odbjeglih robova koji traže slobodu na podzemnoj željeznici. Učite tako što ćete postati bjegunac u interaktivnom susretu gdje muzejsko osoblje postaju lovci na robove, ljubazni kvekeri, oslobođeni robovi i željeznički kondukteri koji odlučuju o vašoj sudbini. $20.
Westfield je sjajan grad za pješačke ture; povijesno društvo Westfield-Washington (vidi dolje) može pružiti osnovne informacije. Povijesne šetnje i obilasci duhova Indiane (☏ 1 317 840-6456) također pokriva "duhove podzemne željeznice" na jednoj od njegovih turneja po Westfieldu (potrebne rezervacije, provjerite raspored).
- 36 Povijesno društvo i muzej Westfield-Washington, 130 Penn St., Westfield, ☏ 1 317 804-5365. Su 10:00 - 22:00, ili po dogovoru. Smješteni od strane uvjerljivih ukidačkih kvekerima, ne treba čuditi da je Westfield bio jedno od žarišta podzemne željeznice u Indiani. U ovom muzeju saznajte sve o tim i drugim elementima lokalne povijesti. Donacija.
Od područja Indianapolisa ruta se razdvaja: možete se uputiti na istok u Ohio ili na sjever u Michigan.
- 37 Državno povijesno mjesto Levi i Catharine Coffin, 201 US Route 27 North, Fountain City (14,8 km sjeverno od Richmond putem SAD-a 27), ☏ 1 765 847-1691. Uto-Su 10:00 - 17:00. The "Grand Central Station" of the Underground Railroad where three escape routes to the North converged is where Levi and Catharine Coffin lived and harbored more than 2,000 freedom seekers to safety. A family of well-to-do Quakers, the Coffins' residence is an ample Federal-style brick home that's been restored to its period appearance and opened to guided tours. A full calendar of events also take place. $10, seniors (60 ) $8, children 3-17 $5.
Another option is to head north from Kentucky directly into Ohio.
Ohio
The stations listed here form a meandering line through Ohio's major cities — Cincinnati do Dayton do Kolumbo do Cleveland do Toledo — and around Lake Erie to Detroit, a journey of approximately 800 mi (1,300 km). In practice, Underground Railroad passengers would head due north and cross Lake Erie at the first possible opportunity via any of multiple parallel routes.
Iz Lexington, Kentucky, you head north 85 mi (137 km) on this freedom train to Covington. Directly across the Ohio River and the state line is Cincinnati, one of many points at which thousands crossed into the North in search of freedom.
- 38 National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, 50 East Freedom Way, Cincinnati, ☏ 1 513 333-7500. Uto-Su 11:00 - 17:00. Among the most comprehensive resources of Underground Railroad-related information anywhere in the country, the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center should be at the top of the list for any history buff retracing the escapees' perilous journey. The experience at this "museum of conscience" includes everything from genuine historical artifacts (including a "slave pen" built c. 1830, the only known extant one of these small log cabins once used to house slaves prior to auction) to films and theatrical performances to archival research materials, relating not only the story of the Underground Railroad but the entirety of the African-American struggle for freedom from the Colonial era through the Civil War, Jim Crow, and the modern day. $12, seniors $10, children $8.
30 mi (48 km) to the east, Williamsburg and Okruga Clermont were home to multiple stations on the Underground Railroad. 55 mi (89 km) north is Springboro, just south of Dayton in Okruga Warren.
- 39 Springboro Historical Society Museum, 110 S. Main St., Springboro, ☏ 1 937 748-0916. F-Sa 11AM-3PM. This small museum details Springboro's storied past as a vital stop on the Underground Railroad. While you're in town, stop by the Chamber of Commerce (325 S. Main St.) and pick up a brochure with a self-guided walking tour of 27 local "stations" on the Railroad, the most of any city in Ohio, many of which still stand today.
East of Dayton, one former station is now a tavern.
- 1 Ye Olde Trail Tavern, 228 Xenia Ave., Yellow Springs, ☏ 1 937 767-7448. Su-Th 11AM-10PM, F-Sa 11AM-11PM; closes an hour early Oct-Mar. Kick back with a cold beer and nosh on bar snacks with an upscale twist in this 1844 log cabin that was once a stop on the Underground Railroad. Mains $8-12.
Continue east 110 mi (180 km) through Columbus and onward to Zanesville, then detour north via Route 60.
- 40 Prospect Place, 12150 Main St., Trinway (16 miles/26 km north of Zanesville via Route 60), ☏ 1 740 221-4175. Sa-Su noon-4PM, Mar 17-Nov 4. An ongoing historic renovation aims to bring this 29-room Italianate-style mansion back to its appearance in the 1850s and '60s, when it served as the home of railroad baron, local politico, and abolitionist George Willison Adams — not to mention one of the area's most important Underground Railroad stations. The restored portions of the mansion are open for self-guided tours (weather-dependent; the building is not air-conditioned and the upper floors can get stifling in summer, so call ahead on hot days to make sure they're open), and Prospect Place is also home to the G. W. Adams Educational Center, with a full calendar of events,
Another 110 mi (180 km) to the northeast is Savez.
- 41 Haines House Underground Railroad Museum, 186 W. Market St., Alliance, ☏ 1 330 829-4668. Open for tours the first weekend of each month: Sa 10AM-noon; Su 1PM-3PM. Sarah and Ridgeway Haines, daughter and son-in-law of one of the town's first settlers, operated an Underground Railroad station out of their stately Federal-style home, now fully restored and open to the public as a museum. Tour the lovely Victorian parlor, the early 19th century kitchen, the bedrooms, and the attic where fugitive slaves were hidden. Check out exhibits related to local Underground Railroad history and the preservation of the house. $3.
The next town to the north is 42 Kent, the home of Kent State University, which was a waypoint on the Underground Railroad back when the village was still named Franklin Mills. 36 mi (58 km) further north is the Lake Erie shoreline, east of Cleveland. From there, travellers had a few possible options: attempt to cross Lake Erie directly into Canada, head east through western Pennsylvania and onward to Buffalo...
- 43 Hubbard House Underground Railroad Museum, 1603 Walnut Blvd., Ashtabula, ☏ 1 440 964-8168. F-Su 1PM-5PM, Memorial Day through Labor Day, or by appointment. William and Catharine Hubbard's circa-1841 farmhouse was one of the Underground Railroad's northern termini — directly behind the house is Lake Erie, and directly across the lake is Canada — and today it's the only one that's open to the public for tours. Peruse exhibits on local Underground Railroad and Civil War history set in environs restored to their 1840s appearance, complete with authentic antique furnishings. $5, seniors $4, children 6 and over $3.
...or turn west.
- 44 Lorain Underground Railroad Station 100 Monument, 100 Black River Ln., Lorain (At Black River Landing), ☏ 1 440 328-2336. Not a station, but rather a historic monument that honors Lee Howard Dobbins, a 4-year-old escaped slave, orphaned en route to freedom with his mother, who later died in the home of the local family who took him in. A large relief sculpture, inscribed with an inspirational poem read at the child's funeral (which was attended by a thousand people), is surrounded by a contemplative garden.
West of Lorain is Sandusky, one of the foremost jumping-off points for escaped slaves on the final stage of their journey to freedom. Among those who set off across Lake Erie from here toward Canada was Josiah Henson, whose autobiography served as inspiration for Harriet Beecher Stowe's famous novel, Kabina ujaka Toma. Modern-day voyagers can retrace that journey via the MV Jiimaan[mrtva veza], a seasonal ferry plying the route from Sandusky to Leamington i Kingsville, Ontario, or else stop in to the Lake Erie Shores & Islands Welcome Center at 4424 Milan Rd. and pick up a brochure with a free self-guided walking tour of Sandusky-area Underground Railroad sites.
- 45 Maritime Museum of Sandusky, 125 Meigs St., Sandusky, ☏ 1 419 624-0274. Year-round F-Sa 10AM-4PM, Su noon-4PM; also Tu-Th 10AM-4PM Jun-Aug. This museum interprets Sandusky's prominent history as a lake port and transportation nexus through interactive exhibits and educational programs on a number of topics, including the passenger steamers whose owners were among the large number of locals active in the Underground Railroad. $6, seniors 62 and children under 12 $5, families $14.
- 46 Path to Freedom Sculpture, Facer Park, 255 E. Water St., Sandusky, ☏ 1 419 624-0274. In the center of a small harborfront park in downtown Sandusky stands this life-size sculpture of an African-American man, woman and child bounding with arms outstretched toward the waterfront and freedom, fashioned symbolically out of 800 ft (240 m) of iron chains.
As an alternative to crossing the lake here, voyagers could continue westward through Toledo to Detroit.
Michigan
Detroit was the last American stop for travellers on this route: directly across the river lies Windsor, Ontario.
- 47 First Living Museum, 33 E. Forest Ave., Detroit, ☏ 1 313 831-4080. Call museum for schedule of tours. The museum housed in the First Congregational Church of Detroit features a 90-minute "Flight to Freedom" reenactment that simulates an escape from slavery on the Underground Railroad: visitors are first shackled with wrist bands, then led to freedom by a "conductor" while hiding from bounty hunters, crossing the Ohio River to seek refuge in Levi Coffin's abolitionist safe house in Indiana, and finally arriving to "Midnight" — the code name for Detroit in Railroad parlance. $15, youth and seniors $12.
- 48 Mariners' Church, 170 E. Jefferson Ave., Detroit, ☏ 1 313 259-2206. Services Su 8:30AM & 11AM. An 1849 limestone church known primarily for serving Great Lakes sailors and memorializing crew lost at sea. In 1955, while moving the church to make room for a new civic center, workers discovered an Underground Railroad tunnel under the building.
If Detroit was "Midnight" on the Underground Railroad, Windsor was "Dawn". A literal underground railroad does stretch across the river from Detroit to Windsor, along with another one to the north between Luka Huron i Sarnia, but since 2004 the tunnels have served only freight. A ferry crosses here for large trucks only. An underground road tunnel also runs to Windsor, complete with a municipal Tunnel Bus service (C$4/person, one way).
- Gateway to Freedom International Memorial. Historians estimate that as many as 45,000 runaway slaves passed through Detroit-Windsor on the Underground Railroad, and this pair of monuments spanning both sides of the riverfront pays homage to the local citizens who defied the law to provide safety to the fugitives. Sculpted by Ed Dwight, Jr. (the first African-American accepted into the U.S. astronaut training program), the 49 Gateway to Freedom Memorial at Hart Plaza in Detroit depicts eight larger-than-life figures — including George DeBaptiste, an African-American conductor of local prominence — gazing toward the promised land of Canada. On the Windsor side, at the Civic Esplanade, the 50 Tower of Freedom depicts four more bronze figures with arms upraised in relief, backed by a 20 ft (6.1 m) marble monolith.
There is a safehouse 35 mi (56 km) north of Detroit (on the U.S. side) in Washington Township:
- 51 Loren Andrus Octagon House, 57500 Van Dyke Ave., Washington Township, ☏ 1 586 781-0084. 1-4PM on 3rd Sunday of month (Mar-Oct) or by appointment. Erected in 1860, the historic home of canal and railroad surveyor Loren Andrus served as a community meeting place and station during the latter days of the Underground Railroad, its architecture capturing attention with its unusual symmetry and serving as a metaphor for a community that bridges yesterday and tomorrow. One-hour guided tours lead through the house's restored interior and include exhibits relevant to its history. $5.
Ontario
The most period-appropriate way to replicate the crossing into Canada used to be the Bluewater Ferry across the St. Clair River between Marine City, Michigan and Sombra, Ontario. The ferry no longer operates. Instead, cross from Detroit to Windsor via the Ambassador Bridge or the aforementioned tunnel, or else detour north to the Blue Water Bridge between Port Huron and Sarnia.
- 52 Sandwich First Baptist Church, 3652 Peter St., Windsor, ☏ 1 519-252-4917. Services Su 11AM, tours by appointment. The oldest existing majority-Black church in Canada, erected in 1847 by early Underground Railroad refugees, Sandwich First Baptist was often the first Canadian stop for escapees after crossing the river from Detroit: a series of hidden tunnels and passageways led from the riverbank to the church to keep folks away from the prying eyes of slave catchers, the more daring of whom would cross the border in violation of Canadian law in pursuit of escaped slaves. Modern-day visitors can still see the trapdoor in the floor of the church.
- 1 Emancipation Day Celebration, Lanspeary Park, Windsor. Held annually on the first Saturday and Sunday in August from 2-10PM, "The Greatest Freedom Show on Earth" commemorates the Emancipation Act of 1833, which abolished slavery in Canada as well as throughout the British Empire. Live music, yummy food, and family-friendly entertainment abound. Admission free, "entertainment area" with live music $5 per person/$20 per family.
Amherstburg, just south of Windsor, was also a destination for runaway slaves.
- 53 Amherstburg Freedom Museum, 277 King St., Amherstburg, ☏ 1 519-736-5433, besplatni: 1-800-713-6336. Tu-F noon-5PM, Sa Su 1-5PM. Telling the story of the African-Canadian experience in Essex County is not only the museum itself, with a wealth of historic artifacts and educational exhibits, but also the Taylor Log Cabin, the home of an early black resident restored to its mid-19th century appearance, and also the Nazrey AME Church, a National Historic Site of Canada. A wealth of events takes place in the onsite cultural centre. Adult $7.50, seniors & students $6.50.
- 54 John Freeman Walls Historic Site and Underground Railroad Museum, 859 Puce Rd., Lakeshore (29 km/18 miles east of downtown Windsor via Highway 401), ☏ 1 519-727-6555, faks: 1 519-727-5793. Tu-Sa 10:30AM-3PM in summer, by appointment other times. Historical museum situated in the 1846 log-cabin home of John Freeman Walls, a fugitive slave from Sjeverna Karolina turned Underground Railroad stationmaster and pillar of the small community of Puce, Ontario (now part of the Town of Lakeshore). Dr. Bryan Walls, the museum's curator and a descendant of the owner, wrote a book entitled The Road that Leads to Somewhere detailing the history of his family and others in the community.
Following the signed African-Canadian Heritage Tour eastward from Windsor, you soon come to the so-called "Black Mecca" of Chatham, which after the Underground Railroad began quickly became — and to a certain extent remains — a bustling centre of African-Canadian life.
- 55 Chatham-Kent Museum, 75 William St. N., Chatham, ☏ 1 519-360-1998. W-F 1-7PM, Sa Su 11AM-4PM. One of the highlights of the collection at this all-purpose local history museum are some of the personal effects of American abolitionist John Brown, whose failed 1859 raid on the federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry, Virginia was contemporaneous with the height of the Underground Railroad era and stoked tensions on both sides of the slavery divide in the runup to the Civil War.
- 56 Black Mecca Museum, 177 King St. E., Chatham, ☏ 1 519-352-3565. M-F 10AM-3PM, till 4PM Jul-Aug. Researchers, take note: the Black Mecca Museum was founded as a home for the expansive archives of the Chatham-Kent Black Historical Society detailing Chatham's rich African-Canadian history. If that doesn't sound like your thing, there are also engaging exhibits of historic artifacts, as well as guided walking tours (call to schedule) that take in points of interest relevant to local black history. Self-guided tours free, guided tours $6.
- 57 Uncle Tom's Cabin Historic Site, 29251 Uncle Tom's Rd., Dresden (27 km/17 miles north of Chatham via County Roads 2 and 28), ☏ 1 519-683-2978. Tu-Sa 10AM-4PM, Su noon-4PM, May 19-Oct 27; also Mon 10AM-4PM Jul-Aug; Oct 28-May 18 by appointment. This sprawling open-air museum complex is centred on the restored home of Josiah Henson, a former slave turned author, abolitionist, and minister whose autobiography was the inspiration for the title character in Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel Kabina ujaka Toma. But that's not the end of the story: a restored sawmill, smokehouse, the circa-1850 Pioneer Church, and the Henson family cemetery are just some of the authentic period buildings preserved from the Dawn Settlement of former slaves. Historical artifacts, educational exhibits, multimedia presentations, and special events abound.
- 58 Buxton National Historic Site & Museum, 21975 A.D. Shadd Rd., North Buxton (16 km/10 miles south of Chatham via County Roads 2, 27, and 14), ☏ 1 519-352-4799, faks: 1 519-352-8561. Daily 10AM-4:30PM, Jul-Aug; W-Su 1PM-4:30PM, May & Sep; M-F 1PM-4:30PM, Oct-Apr. The Elgin Settlement was a haven for fugitive slaves and free blacks founded in 1849, and this museum complex — along with the annual Buxton Homecoming cultural festival in September — pays homage to the community that planted its roots here. In addition to the main museum building (containing historical exhibits) are authentic restored buildings from the former settlement: a log cabin, a barn, and a schoolhouse. $6, seniors and students $5, families $20.
Across the Land of Lincoln
Though Illinois was de jure a free state, Southern cultural influence and sympathy for the institution of slavery was very strong in its southernmost reaches (even to this day, the local culture in Kairo and other far-downstate communities bears more resemblance to the Mississippi Delta od Chicago). Thus, the fate of fugitive slaves passing through Illinois was variable: near the borders of Missouri and Kentucky the danger of being abducted and forcibly transported back to slavery was very high, while those who made it further north would notice a marked decrease in the local tolerance for slave catchers.
The Rijeka Mississippi was a popular Underground Railroad route in this part of the country; a voyager travelling north from Memphis would pass between the slave-holding states of Missouri and Kentucky to arrive 175 mi (282 km) later at Cairo, a fork in the river. From there, the Mississippi continued northward through St. Louis while the Ohio River ran along the Ohio-Kentucky border to Cincinnati and beyond.
- 59 Slave Haven Underground Railroad Museum, 826 N. Second St., Memphis, Tennessee, ☏ 1 901 527-7711. Daily 10AM-4PM, till 5PM Jun-Aug. Built in 1849 by Jacob Burkle, a livestock trader and baker originally from Njemačka, this modest yet handsome house was long suspected to be a waypoint for Underground Railroad fugitives boarding Mississippi river boats. Now a museum, the house has been restored with period furnishings and contains interpretive exhibits. Make sure to go down into the basement, where the trap doors, tunnels and passages used to hide escaped slaves have been preserved. A three-hour historical sightseeing tour of thirty local sites is also offered for $45. $12.
Placing fugitives onto vessels on the Mississippi was a monumental risk that figured prominently in the literature of the era. There was even a "Reverse Underground Railroad" used by antebellum slave catchers to kidnap free blacks and fugitives from free states to sell them back into slavery.
Because of its location on the Mississippi River, St. Louis was directly on the boundary between slaveholding Missouri and abolitionist Illinois.
- 2 Mary Meachum Freedom Crossing, 28 E Grand Ave., St. Louis, Missouri, ☏ 1 314 584-6703. The Rev. John Berry Meachum of St. Louis' First African Baptist Church arrived in St. Louis in 1815 after purchasing his freedom from slavery. Ordered to stop holding classes in his church under an 1847 Missouri law prohibiting education of people of color, he instead circumvented the restriction by teaching on a Mississippi riverboat. His widow Mary Meachum was arrested early in the morning of May 21, 1855 with a small group of runaway slaves and their guides who were attempting to cross the Mississippi River to freedom. These events are commemorated each May with a historical reenactment of the attempted crossing by actors in period costume, along with poetry, music, dance, and dramatic performances. Even if you're not in town for the festival, you can still stop by the rest area alongside the St. Louis Riverfront Trail and take in the colorful wall mural and historic plaques.
Author Mark Twain, whose iconic novel Pustolovine Huckleberryja Finna (1884) describes a freedom-seeking Mississippi voyage downriver to New Orleans, grew up in Hanibal, Missouri, a short distance upriver from St. Louis. Hannibal, in turn, is not far from Quincy, Illinois, where freedom seekers would often attempt to cross the Mississippi directly.
- 60 Dr. Richard Eells House, 415 Jersey St., Quincy, ☏ 1 217 223-1800. Sa 1PM-4PM, group tours by appointment. Connecticut-born Dr. Eells was active in the abolitionist movement and is credited with helping several hundred slaves flee from Missouri. In 1842, while providing aid to a fugitive swimming the river, Dr. Eells was spotted by a posse of slave hunters. Eells escaped, but was later arrested and charged with harboring a fugitive slave. His case (with a $400 fine) was unsuccessfully appealed as far as the U.S. Supreme Court, with the final appeal made by his estate after his demise. His 1835 Greek Revival-style house, four blocks from the Mississippi, has been restored to its original appearance and contains museum exhibits regarding the Eells case in particular and the Underground Railroad in general. $3.
70 mi (110 km) east of Quincy is Jacksonville, once a major crossroads of at least three different Underground Railroad routes, many of which carried passengers fleeing from St. Louis. Several of the former stations still stand. The Morgan County Historical Society vodi a Sunday afternoon bus tour twice annually (spring and fall) from Illinois College to Woodlawn Farm with guides in period costume.
- 61 Beecher Hall, Illinois College, 1101 W. College Ave., Jacksonville, ☏ 1 217 245-3000. Founded in 1829, Illinois College was the first institution of postsecondary education in the state, and it quickly became a nexus of the local abolitionist community. The original building was renamed Beecher Hall in honor of the college's first president, Edward Beecher, brother of Kabina ujaka Toma author Harriet Beecher Stowe. Tours of the campus are offered during the summer months (see web stranica for schedule); while geared toward prospective students, they're open to all and offer an introduction to the history of the college.
- 62 Woodlawn Farm, 1463 Gierkie Ln., Jacksonville, ☏ 1 217 243-5938, ✉[email protected]. W & Sa-Su 1PM-4PM, late May-late Sep, or by appointment. Pioneer settler Michael Huffaker built this handsome Greek Revival farmhouse circa 1840, and according to local tradition hid fugitive slaves there during the Underground Railroad era by disguising them as resident farmhands. Nowadays it's a living history museum where docents in period attire give guided tours of the restored interior, furnished with authentic antiques and family heirlooms. $4 suggested donation.
50 mi (80 km) further east is the state capital of 63 Springfield, the longtime home and final resting place of Abraham Lincoln. During the time of the Underground Railroad, he was a local attorney and rising star in the fledgling Republican Party who was most famous as Congressman Stephen Douglas' sparring partner in an 1858 statewide debate tour where slavery and other matters were discussed. However, Lincoln was soon catapulted from relative obscurity onto the national stage with his win in the 1860 Presidential election, going on to shepherd the nation through the Civil War and issue the 1863 Emancipation Proclamation that freed the slaves once and for all.
From Springfield, one could turn north through Bloomington and Princeton to Chicago, or continue east through Indiana to Ohio or Michigan.
- 64 Owen Lovejoy Homestead, 905 E. Peru St., Princeton (21 miles/34 km west of Peru via US 6 or I-80), ☏ 1 815 879-9151. F-Sa 1PM-4PM, May-Sep or by appointment. The Rev. Owen Lovejoy (1811-1864) was one of the most prominent abolitionists in the state of Illinois and, along with Lincoln, a founding father of the Republican Party, not to mention the brother of newspaper editor Elijah Parish Lovejoy, whose anti-slavery writings in the Alton Posmatrač led to his 1837 lynching. It was more or less an open secret around Princeton that his modest farmhouse on the outskirts of town was a station on the so-called "Liberty Line" of the Underground Railroad. The house is now a city-owned museum restored to its period appearance (including the "hidey-holes" where fugitive slaves were concealed) and opened to tours in season. Onsite also is a one-room schoolhouse with exhibits that further delve into the pioneer history of the area.
- 65 Graue Mill and Museum, 3800 York Rd., Oak Brook, ☏ 1 630 655-2090. Tu-Su 10AM-4:30PM, mid Apr-mid Nov. German immigrant Frederick Graue housed fugitive slaves in the basement of his gristmill on Salt Creek, which was a favorite stopover for future President Abraham Lincoln during his travels across the state. Today, the building has been restored to its period appearance and functions as a museum where, among other exhibits, "Graue Mill and the Road to Freedom" elucidates the role played by the mill and the surrounding community in the Underground Railroad. $4.50, children 4-12 $2.
From Chicago (or points across the Wisconsin border such as Racine ili Milwaukee), travel onward would be by water across the Great Lakes.
Into the Maritime Provinces
Another route, less used but still significant, led from New England through New Brunswick to Nova Scotia, mainly from Boston to Halifax. Though the modern-day Pomorske provincije did not become part of Canada until 1867, they were within the British Empire, and thus slavery was illegal there too.
One possible route (following the coast from Philadelphia through Boston to Halifax) would be to head north through New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Otok Rhode, Massachusetts i Maine to reach New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.
- 2 Wedgwood Inn, 111 W. Bridge St., New Hope, Pennsylvania, ☏ 1 215 862-2570. Smješteno u Okrug Bucks some 40 mi (64 km) northeast of Philadelphia, New Hope is a town whose importance on the Underground Railroad came thanks to its ferry across the Delaware River, which escaped slaves would use to pass into New Jersey on their northward journey — and this Victorian bed and breakfast was one of the stations where they'd spend the night beforehand. Of course, modern-day travellers sleep in one of eight quaintly-decorated guest rooms, but if you like, your hosts will show you the trapdoor that leads to the subterranean tunnel system where slaves once hid. Standard rooms with fireplace $120-250/night, Jacuzzi suites $200-350/night.
With its densely wooded landscape, abundant population of Quaker abolitionists, and regularly spaced towns, South Jersey was a popular east-coast Underground Railroad stopover. Swedesboro, with a sizable admixture of free black settlers to go along with the Quakers, was a particular hub.
- 66 Mount Zion AME Church, 172 Garwin Rd., Woolwich Township, New Jersey (1.5 miles/2.4 km northeast of Swedesboro via Kings Hwy.). Services Su 10:30AM. Founded by a congregation of free black settlers and still an active church today, Mount Zion was a reliable safe haven for fugitive slaves making their way from Virginia and Maryland via Philadelphia, providing them with shelter, supplies, and guidance as they continued north. Stop into this handsome 1834 clapboard church and you'll see a trapdoor in the floor of the vestibule leading to a crawl space where slaves hid.
New York City occupied a mixed role in the history of American slavery: while New York was a free state, many in the city's financial community had dealings with the southern states and Tammany Hall, the far-right political machine that effectively controlled the city Democratic Party, was notoriously sympathetic to slaveholding interests. It was a different story in what are now the outer boroughs, which were home to a thriving free black population and many churches and religious groups that held strong abolitionist beliefs.
- 67 [mrtva veza]227 Abolitionist Place, 227 Duffield St., Brooklyn, New York. In the early 19th Century, Thomas and Harriet Truesdell were among the foremost members of Brooklyn's abolitionist community, and their Duffield Street residence was a station on the Underground Railroad. The house is no longer extant, but residents of the brick rowhouse that stands on the site today discovered the trapdoors and tunnels in the basement in time to prevent the building from being demolished for a massive redevelopment project. The building is now owned by a neighborhood not-for-profit with hopes of turning it into a museum and heritage center focusing on New York City's contribution to abolitionism and the Underground Railroad; in the meantime, it plays host to a range of educational events and programs.
Nova Engleska
- 68 Harriet Beecher Stowe Center, 77 Forest St., Hartford, Connecticut, ☏ 1 860 522-9258. The author of the famous antislavery novel Kabina ujaka Toma lived in this delightful Gothic-style cottage in Hartford (right next door to Mark Twain!) from 1873 until her death in 1896. The house is now a museum that not only preserves its historic interior as it appeared during Stowe's lifetime, but also offers an interactive, "non-traditional museum experience" that allows visitors to really dig deep and discuss the issues that inspired and informed her work, including women's rights, immigration, criminal justice reform, and — of course — abolitionism. There's also a research library covering topics related to 19th-century literature, arts, and social history.
- 69 Greenmanville Historic District, 75 Greenmanville Ave., Stonington, Connecticut (At the Mystic Seaport Museum), ☏ 1 860 572-5315. Svakog dana od 9 do 17 sati. The Greenman brothers — George, Clark, and Thomas — came in 1837 from Rhode Island to a site at the mouth of the Mystic River where they built a shipyard, and in due time a buzzing industrial village had coalesced around it. Staunch abolitionists, the Greenmans operated a station on the Underground Railroad and supported a local Seventh-Day Baptist church (c. 1851) which denounced slavery and regularly hosted speakers who supported abolitionism and women’s rights. Today, the grounds of the Mystic Seaport Museum include ten of the original buildings of the Greenmanville settlement, including the former textile mill, the church, and the Thomas Greenman House. Exhibits cover the history of the settlement and its importance to the Underground Railroad and the abolitionist movement. Museum admission $28.95, seniors $26.95, children $19.95.
- 70 Pawtuxet Village, između Warwick i Cranston, Rhode Island. This historically preserved neighborhood represents the center of one of the oldest villages in New England, dating back to 1638. Flash forward a couple of centuries and it was a prominent stop on the Underground Railroad for runaway slaves. Walking tours of the village are available.
- 71 [mrtva veza]Jackson Homestead and Museum, 527 Washington St., Newton, Massachusetts, ☏ 1 617 796-1450. W-F 11AM-5PM, Sa-Su 10AM-5PM. This Federal-style farmhouse was built in 1809 as the home of Timothy Jackson, a Revolutionary War veteran, factory owner, state legislator, and abolitionist who operated an Underground Railroad station in it. Deeded to the City of Newton by one of his descendants, it's now a local history museum with exhibits on the local abolitionist community as well as paintings, photographs, historic artifacts, and other curiosities. $6, seniors and children 6-12 $5, students with ID $2.
Boston was a major seaport and an abolitionist stronghold. Some freedom seekers arrived overland, others as stowaways aboard coastal trading vessels from the Jug. The Boston Vigilance Committee (1841-1861), an abolitionist organization founded by the city's free black population to protect their people from abduction into slavery, spread the word when slave catchers came to town. They worked closely with Underground Railroad conductors to provide freedom seekers with transportation, shelter, medical attention and legal counsel. Hundreds of escapees stayed a short time before moving on to Canada, England or other British territories.
The Služba nacionalnog parka offers a ranger-led 1.6 mi (2.6 km) Staza crne baštine Bostona tour through Boston's Beacon Hill district, near the Massachusetts State House and Boston Common. Several old houses in this district were stations on the line, but are not open to the public.
A museum is open in a former meeting house and school:
- 72 Museum of African-American History, 46 Joy St., Boston, Massachusetts, ☏ 1 617 725-0022. M-Sa 10:00 - 16:00. The African Meeting House (a church built in 1806) and Abiel Smith School (the nation's oldest public school for black children, founded 1835) have been restored to the 1855 era for use as a museum and event space with exhibit galleries, education programs, caterers' kitchen and museum store.
Once in Boston, most escaped slaves boarded ships headed directly to Nova Scotia or New Brunswick. A few crossed Vermont or New Hampshire into Donja Kanada, eventually reaching Montreal...
- 73 Rokeby Museum, 4334 US Route 7, Ferrisburgh, Vermont (11 miles/18 km south of Shelburne), ☏ 1 802 877-3406. 10AM-5PM, mid-May to late Oct; house only open by scheduled guided tour. Rowland T. Robinson, a Quaker and ardent abolitionist, openly sheltered escaped slaves on his family's sheep farm in the quiet town of Ferrisburgh. Now a museum complex, visitors can tour nine historic farm buildings furnished in period style and full of interpretive exhibits covering Vermont's contribution to the Underground Railroad effort, or walk a network of hiking trails that cover more than 50 acres (20 ha) of the property. $10, seniors $9, students $8.
...while others continued to follow the coastal routes overland into Maine.
- 74 Abyssinian Meeting House, 75 Newbury St., Portland, Maine, ☏ 1 207 828-4995. Maine's oldest African-American church was erected in 1831 by a community of free blacks and headed up for many years by Reverend Amos Noé Freeman (1810-93), a known Underground Railroad agent who hosted and organized anti-slavery speakers, Negro conventions, and testimonies from runaway slaves. But by 1998, when the building was purchased from the city by a consortium of community leaders, it had fallen into disrepair. The Committee to Restore the Abyssinian plans to convert the former church to a museum dedicated to tracing the story of Maine's African-American community, and also hosts a variety of events, classes, and performances at a variety of venues around Portland.
- 75 Chamberlain Freedom Park, Corner of State and N. Main Sts., Brewer, Maine (Directly across the river from Bangor via the State Street bridge). In his day, John Holyoke — shipping magnate, factory owner, abolitionist — was one of the wealthiest citizens in the city of Brewer, Maine. When his former home was demolished in 1995 as part of a road widening project, a hand-stitched "slave-style shirt" was found tucked in the eaves of the attic along with a stone-lined tunnel in the basement leading to the bank of the Penobscot River, finally confirming the local rumors that claimed he was an Underground Railroad stationmaster. Today, there's a small park on the site, the only official Underground Railroad memorial in the state of Maine, that's centered on a statue entitled North to Freedom: a sculpted figure of an escaped slave hoisting himself out of the preserved tunnel entrance. Nearby is a statue of local Civil War hero Col. Joshua Chamberlain, for whom the park is named.
- 76 Maple Grove Friends Church, Route 1A near Up Country Rd., Fort Fairfield, Maine (9 miles/14.5 km east of Presque Isle via Route 163). 2 mi (3.2 km) from the border, this historic Quaker church was the last stop for many escaped slaves headed for freedom in New Brunswick, where a few African-Canadian communities had gathered in the Dolina rijeke Saint John. Historical renovations in 1995 revealed a hiding place concealed beneath a raised platform in the main meeting room. The building was rededicated as a house of worship in 2000 and still holds occasional services.
New Brunswick and Nova Scotia
Once across the border, a few black families settled in places like Upper Kent along the Saint John River in New Brunswick. Many more continued onward to Nova Scotia, then a separate British colony but now part of Canada's Maritime Provinces.
- 3 Tomlinson Lake Hike to Freedom, Glenburn Rd., Carlingford, New Brunswick (7.2 km/4.5 miles west of Perth-Andover via Route 190). first Sa in Oct. After successfully crossing the border into New Brunswick, the first order of business for many escaped slaves on this route was to seek out the home of Sgt. William Tomlinson, a British-born lumberjack and farmer who was well known for welcoming slaves who came through this area. Every year, the fugitives' cross-border trek to Tomlinson Lake is retraced with a 2.5 km (1.6 mi) family-friendly, all-ages-and-skill-levels "hike to freedom" in the midst of the beautiful autumn foliage the region boasts. Gather at the well-signed trailhead on Glenburn Road, and at the end of the line you can sit down to a hearty traditional meal, peruse the exhibits at an Underground Railroad pop-up museum, or do some more hiking on a series of nature trails around the lake. There's even a contest for the best 1850s-period costumes. Besplatno.
- 77 Kraljevo slijetanje, 5804 Route 102, Prince William, New Brunswick (40 km/25 miles west of downtown Fredericton putem Transkanadska autocesta), ☏ 1 506 363-4999. Daily 10AM-5PM, early June-mid Oct. Set up as a pioneer village, this living-history museum is devoted primarily to United Empire Loyalist communities in 19th century New Brunswick. However, one building, the Gordon House, is a replica of a house built by manumitted slave James Gordon in nearby Fredericton and contains exhibits relative to the Underground Railroad and the African-Canadian experience, including old runaway slave ads and quilts containing secret messages for fugitives. Onsite also is a restaurant, pub and Peddler's Market. $18, seniors $16, youth (6-15) $12.40.
Halifax, the final destination of most fugitive slaves passing out of Boston, still has a substantial mostly-black district populated by descendants of Underground Railroad passengers.
- 78 Black Cultural Centre for Nova Scotia, 10 Cherry Brook Rd., Dartmouth, Nova Scotia (20 km/12 miles east of downtown Halifax via Highway 111 and Trunk 7), ☏ 1 902-434-6223, besplatni: 1-800-465-0767, faks: 1 902-434-2306. M-F 10AM-4PM, also Sa noon-3PM Jun-Sep. Situated in the midst of one of Metro Halifax's largest African-Canadian neighbourhoods, the Black Cultural Centre for Nova Scotia is a museum and cultural centre that traces the history of the Black Nova Scotian community not only during the Underground Railroad era, but before (exhibits tell the story of Black Loyalist settlers and locally-held slaves prior to the Emancipation Act of 1833) and afterward (the African-Canadian contribution to prvi svjetski rat and the destruction of Africville) as well. $6.
- 79 Africville Museum, 5795 Africville Rd., Halifax, Nova Scotia, ☏ 1 902-455-6558, faks: 1 902-455-6461. Uto-Sa 10:00 - 16:00. Africville was an African-Canadian neighbourhood that stood on the shores of Bedford Basin from the 1860s; it was condemned and destroyed a century later for bridge and industrial development. Ovaj muzej, smješten na istočnoj strani Memorijalnog parka Seaview, u preslici Africvilleove baptističke crkve Seaview, osnovan je kao dio zakašnjele isprike i restitucije gradske vlade crnačkoj zajednici Halifaxa, a svoju priču priča kroz povijesne artefakte, fotografije i interpretativni prikazi koji nadahnjuju posjetitelja da razmotri korozivne učinke rasizma na društvo i prepozna snagu koja dolazi kroz različitost. Svakog srpnja u parku se održava "Africville Reunion". 5,75 USD, studenti i stariji 4,75 USD, djeca do 5 godina besplatno.
Ostati siguran
Zatim
Donošenjem Zakona o odbjeglim robovima u Kongresu 1850. godine, robovi koji su pobjegli u sjeverne države bili su u neposrednoj opasnosti da budu prisilno oteti i vraćeni u južno ropstvo. Hvatači robova s juga otvoreno su djelovali u sjevernim državama, gdje je njihova brutalnost brzo otuđila mještane. Također se najbolje pažljivo izbjegavalo savezne dužnosnike, jer je u to vrijeme utjecaj vlasnika plantaža s tada mnogoljudnijeg Juga bio snažan u Washingtonu.
Robovi su, dakle, danju morali ležati nisko - skrivajući se, spavajući ili pretvarajući se da rade za lokalne gospodare - i noću se kretati prema sjeveru. Što su sjevernije postajale sve duže i hladnije te zimske noći. Opasnost od susreta s američkim saveznim maršalima prestala bi nakon prelaska kanadske granice, ali putnici Podzemne željeznice trebali bi ostati u Kanadi (i budno paziti na hvatače robova koji prelaze granicu kršeći kanadski zakon) do ropstva okončan je američkim građanskim ratom 1860-ih.
Čak i nakon završetka ropstva, rasne će se borbe nastaviti još barem jedno stoljeće, a "putovanje u crnom" i dalje je predstavljalo opasan prijedlog. The Zelena knjiga crnačkog automobilista, u kojem su navedena poduzeća sigurna za afroameričke putnike (nominalno) u cijeloj zemlji, ostat će tiskani u New Yorku od 1936. do 1966 .; bez obzira na to, u više od nekoliko "zalazećih gradova" putnik u boji nije imao gdje prespavati.
Sada
Danas hvatača robova više nema i savezne vlasti se sada suprotstavljaju različitim oblicima rasne segregacije u međudržavnoj trgovini. Iako na ovom putovanju ostaje preporučljiv uobičajeni stupanj opreza, primarni moderni rizik predstavlja kriminal prilikom putovanja glavnim gradovima, a ne ropstvo ili segregacija.
Idi dalje
Zatim
Samo je mala većina uspješnih bijega dugo ostala u Kanadi. Unatoč činjenici da je tamo ropstvo bilo ilegalno, rasizam i nativizam bili su problem kao i bilo gdje drugdje. Kako je vrijeme prolazilo, a sve više i više odbjeglih robova prelijevalo se preko granice, počeli su istrošiti svoj doček među bijelim Kanađanima. Izbjeglice su obično stizale samo s odjećom na leđima, nespremne za oštre kanadske zime i živjele siromašno izolirano od svojih novih susjeda. S vremenom su neki Afričko-Kanađani napredovali u poljodjelstvu ili poslu i na kraju ostali u svom novom domu, ali na izbijanju Američkog građanskog rata 1861. godine mnogi su bivši bjegunci iskoristili priliku da se pridruže vojsci Unije i igraju ulogu u oslobađanju sunarodnjaka koje su ostavili na Jugu. Čak je i sama Harriet Tubman napustila svoj dom u St. Catharinesu kako bi se prijavila za kuharicu, liječnicu i izviđač. Drugi su se jednostavno vratili u SAD jer im je bilo muka od života na nepoznatom mjestu daleko od svojih prijatelja i voljenih.
Sada
- Kraj linije Ohio poklapa se s početkom linije Ohio Hodnik Windsor-Quebec, najmnogoljudnije i najurbaniziranije područje Kanade. Krenite na istok autocestom 401 prema veličanstvenom Slapovi Niagare, kozmopolit Toronto, ljupka Tisuću otoka, i s francuskim okusom Montreal i Grad Quebec.
- Ako ste krenuli putem Istočne obale, bilo bi nesklono ne istraživati grad Atlantske provincije, gdje obiluju promatranjem kitova, prekrasnim primorskim krajolicima, ukusnim plodovima mora i keltskim kulturnim utjecajima.
Vidi također
- Atlantska trgovina robljem - podmukli proces kojim su robovi došli Afrika do Sjeverna Amerika na prvom mjestu
- Rana povijest Sjedinjenih Država - zamršena saga kojoj je pitanje ropstva bilo samo jedna nit