A Geographers Perspective Timothy McDonnell New York Geographic
Alliance Slide 2 Route Map of the UGRR What about New York State?
It couldnt be that simple! Slide 3 ANOTHER VIEW This map by A.C.
Flick shows more escape routes to Canada; Hudson-Mohawk- Niagara
Susquehanna River- Finger Lakes Lake Erie-Niagara Hudson-Champlain
What other possibilities are there? Slide 4 Comparing the Physical
Landscapes Ohio (and other Mid-Western States) have a low-relief
topography. New York State has several mountain ranges, with narrow
valleys in between. This forces escape routes along a few distinct
pathways, with a limited number of deviations possible. Another
challenge was crossing through Pennsylvanias Appalachian Mts. New
York Pennsylvania Slide 5 Glacial New Yorks Glacial Landscape Like
everywhere on Earth, New Yorks landscape was carved by plate
tectonics and millions of years of erosion. In the last million
years, New York was invaded several times by massive ice sheets.
This created a landscape fit for an Empire State. Slide 6 New The
New Landscape! Slide 7 troughs There are probably thirty N-S
troughs in New York State. If you travel eastward along US Route 20
(or 20A) between Albany and Buffalo, you cross many of them, as you
go up and down steep hills. Some are filled with water Slide 8
Finger Lakes! the Finger Lakes! Slide 9 The Great Lakes The Great
Lakes form a natural boundary between the United States and British
Canada. Slide 10 Spillover Channels: Draining lakes formed by the
melting glaciers Slide 11 Natural Corridors The flood waters from
the melting glaciers carved an escape route to the sea. At one
point most of the drainage went to New York City. This helped
create three natural corridors: Hudson Fjord, Champlain Valley, and
the Mohawk River. Slide 12 Routes that make sense From a Physical
Geographic point of view! Slide 13 The Susquehanna Corridor The
Susquehanna River (and its tributaries) have carved another break
through the Appalachian barrier. This was a third escape route that
led into NYs Southern Tier and beyond. Glacial troughs in the
Finger Lakes Region extend this pathway north and west toward
Canada. Slide 14 Two More Routes Tug Hill Adirondacks Black River
Valley Slide 15 Underground Railroad Map 1 How is the fit? Slide 16
The Human Factor freeWhere is New York in relationship to other
free states and to the slave states? Does this separation have an
impact on the UGRR in New York State? Slide 17 What groups of
people were involved in this very illegal activity? What means of
transportation were used? Did all routes lead to Canada? Was it a
two-way door? Slide 18 The Quakers The Society of Friends was the
first organized religious group to ban slave-holding. They soon
aided Freedom Seekers in their escape from slavery. The Quakers
were especially active on Long Island and in eastern New York
State. Slide 19 Quaker Communities in NYS Slide 20 Comeouter The
Comeouter Churches Charles G. Finney led the Second Great Awakening
in New York State. These evangelicals considered slavery to be a
sin, and they were committed abolitionists. They separated from
traditional churches to form their own comeouter places of worship.
Slide 21 Where were these churches? Source: Strong, Perfectionist
Politics Can we assume that comeouters were UGRR people, too? Slide
22 African-Americans in NYS Slavery was introduced into New
Netherlands in the mid-1600s. It remained an entrenched institution
until after the Revolution. Slavery was finally abolished in NYS in
1827. New York had a substantial free-black population before the
Civil War, especially in the downstate region. Slide 23 The
Distribution Communities The Distribution of African- American
Communities Even tiny communities could be safe havens! Slide 24
African-American Churches St. James, Ithaca Michigan St., Buffalo
Park Street, Peekskill Favor St. AME, Rochester Zion Church,
Binghamton Slide 25 Slide 26 UGRR Map #2- Combined How is the fit?
Slide 27 Transportation Used on UGRR Freedom Seekers certainly
walked hundreds of miles on the quest for liberty. By the 1800s,
New York had a system of roads that led across the state. There
were those who assisted them (wagons, carriages). Slide 28 Escape
by Water Another legacy of the Ice Age are the numerous waterways
throughout New York State. Freedom Seekers would follow streams to
the next stations. In 1807, Robert Fulton launched his steamboat,
and soon there were many stowaways. Slide 29 Crossing the Great
Lakes Lake Ontario and Lake Erie form a long border with Canada. In
the mid-1800s many steamboats carried passengers and freight over
to Canaan. The celebrated Jerry Rescue ended with his boarding a
steamer in Oswego. Slide 30 The Grand Erie Canal The construction
of the Erie Canal revolutionized travel in New York. It provided
easy transportation for fugitives, and many people willing to help
them. Many UGRR stations were close to the canal routes. abolition
equal rightsThe canal brought subversive ideas - like abolition and
equal rights for all citizens. Slide 31 The Above-Ground Railroad
Slide 32 The Fugitive Slave Law 1850 With the passage of the
Fugitive Slave Law, no African-American was safe south of Canada.
The law mandated that everyone help in the recapture of runaways.
Many free blacks fled north of the border. But not everyone! How
can this be explained? Slide 33 What Does Census Data Tell Us?
Slide 34 A Hypothetical Escape Freedom Seeker is sent to New York
City by William Still in Philadelphia. He is sent to Brooklyn
(Lafayette Church) and to Queens with the Quakers. A boat takes him
across the Sound to Westchester County. Slide 35 The Hudson Valley
The Quakers decide it is safest to send the Freedom Seeker to
Tarrytowns black community. They direct him north to Peekskill. A
tunnel leads him to the river and he stows away on a steamer to
Albany. Slide 36 Into the Mohawk Valley Stephen and Harriet Myers
home was a few blocks from the harbor. They put him on a train
bound west along the Mohawk. He gets off at Rome. A conductor there
takes him by wagon to Peterboro, home of famed abolitionist Gerrit
Smith. Slide 37 Central New York Trail Slide 38 Canal Country The
escape route lead north to the Erie Canal in Wayne County. Palmyra
was an important crossroads with several safe houses. This Freedom
Seeker was sent north toward Lake Ontario. Slide 39 The Last Leg of
the Journey Using drumlins as compasses, the Freedom Seeker walks
north. He receives shelter in Marion, and then is sent by wagon to
Griffith Coopers home near Williamson. Then he follows Salmon Creek
to Pultneyville, where he is hidden by the Cuylers. Horatio Throops
ship takes him to Kingston, Canada. Slide 40 But did it end there?
Many Freedom Seekers embraced Canada as their new home. But census
records show that many returned to the free states near Canada,
such as New York. Our fugitive could have married a free-born
woman, and then had children born in New York. Slide 41 Any Other
Routes? Slide 42 Was my house on the UGRR? There is no substitute
for doing the research from primary sources. But also consider
this: Does it make geographic sense? Does the Abel Post Home meet
this criteria? Does it fit in with any patterns discussed in this
session today? Slide 43 Thank You for Attending this Workshop! For
more information visit my website at:
http://nygeo.org/freedomtrl.htmlhttp://nygeo.org/freedomtrl.html
and for lessons on the UGRR in New York State (and this power
point) at http://nygeo.org/ugrrlessons.html
