What was the Underground Railroad? What was its significance? Was it an actual subterranean rail route?
These and other questions will be explored at an event this Saturday at Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site. St. Louis historian Julia Nicolai will discuss her new book Enslavement and the Underground Railroad in Missouri and Illinois. In addition to describing the horrors and challenges experienced by enslaved people in the Midwest, she will also recount their tales of courage and perseverance.
Enslaved people have always sought freedom. From the earliest days of slavery in the 17th century and continuing through the mid-19th century, enslaved African Americans in the U.S. resisted bondage to gain their independence. Some fled their captors by themselves; others ran away in families or groups, intent on establishing new communities in remote areas.
Many freedom seekers were able to embark on their journey with no assistance. But over time, there developed an informal network of secret safehouses, routes, and resources across the country that helped enslaved African Americans escape bondage. Those seeking freedom and those who assisted them along the way united together to become what was known as the Underground Railroad.
Twenty-five years ago, the National Park Service formed the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom to honor, preserve, and promote the history of resistance to enslavement through escape and flight, which continues to inspire people worldwide. The stories of escape recounted at these sites highlight the importance of the Underground Railroad in the eradication of slavery, and as a critical cornerstone of the national civil rights movement.
The Network to Freedom program currently includes more than 740 locations nationwide with a verifiable connection to the Underground Railroad. One such site in St. Louis is the Mary Meachum Freedom Crossing Site, which honors the efforts of the Rev. John Berry Meachum and his wife Mary for their work in helping enslaved people escape to Illinois, a free state where slavery was outlawed.
This weekend’s Underground Railroad program at U.S. Grant National Historic Site will take place at 11:00 a.m. Saturday at the park’s Visitor Center theater. It is free and reservations are not required. Also pick up an autographed copy of Enslavement and the Underground Railroad in Missouri and Illinois in our park bookstore.
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