Just wanted to wish Bro. Sage a quick recovery and hope he gets well soon!

Freedom Trails at the Crossroads: Paths to Telling the Underground Railroad Story through History, Teaching, and Technology September 16-19, 2009 Indianapolis, IN

This year’s conference will take a cue from our host city, Indianapolis, which is referred to as the “Crossroads of America,” and explore the Underground Railroad as a meeting point or a zone of contact in which cultures, geographies, regions, races/ethnicities, religious ideologies, and political ideologies met and interacted. In addition to exploring past connections, the conference will explore ways in which present day people interested in the story of the Underground Railroad transcend the local histories and make connections to a larger history of global significance.

This four-day conference will feature pre-conference events, exhibits, speakers, workshops, and a post-conference. Conference events will be hosted at the Hilton-Indianapolis North, 1-800-HILTONS.

From our local MFT group: Sherman Ampey, Gene Stowe and Bro Sage will have a display booth at this conference.

Conference at a Glance

- Wednesday, September 16: Pre-Conference Tour and Reception

- Thursday, September 17: Opening Ceremony and Keynote by Dr. Keith Griffler Concurrent Sessions, Special Honoree and Panelist, Dr. Larry Gara, and Dinner Theater by Freetown Village, “A Matter of Justice”

- Friday, September 18: Historical Re-Enactor Workshop, Keynote by Dr. Margaret Washington, Atlantic Slave Trade Database Workshop by Dr. David Eltis, and Concurrent Sessions

To register for the conference or for further information, please visit us at http://www.indianafreedomtrails.org or http://www.ugrfriends.org.

We look forward to greeting you in Indianapolis!

This project has been funded in part by a grant from the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service’s Historic Preservation Fund administered by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology.

Co-Sponsors: The National Park Service Network to Freedom Program, Indiana Freedom Trails, Organization of American Historians, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, and the African American Research and Service Institute at Ohio University

Deanda Johnson

Coordinator, African American Research and Service Institute Ohio University

Telephone: 740.597.3069

Email: deanda.johnson.1@ohio.edu

1. The Underground Railroad was neither “underground” nor a “railroad.”  Rather, the term refers to the 19th century movement of enslaved African Americans seeking freedom, and the assistance they received on their journey.
2. Most sites were not tunnels, secret rooms, or hiding places.  Most fugitives rested in homes or outbuildings.  Few fugitives stayed in one place too long, but some fugitives had to remain in an area for days or even weeks because of bounty hunters in the area or inclement weather.
3. The network that developed united different people-black and white, enslaved and free, and Northern and Southern.  People that did work the UGRR did not come and volunteer their services; fugitives had to ask for help.  This meant that runaway slaves had to use their own wits, which meant a great risk when seeking freedom.  The UGRR was loosely organized and not as structured as people think.
4. Thousands of those seeking independence found it without the help of the UGRR.
5. The UGRR did not just stop in northern U.S. cities.  It also continued north into Canada and went south into Florida and the Louisiana Bayou as well as Cuba and Jamaica.  Other fugitives went west.  Some made it to Alaska by way of whaling ships.
6. There was not just one route.  Those running and those aiding often “created” routes as the need arose.
7. Even though the UGRR was not a railroad, we use railroading terms to describe people and sites of the UGRR.  We call houses where food and shelter could be found “stations;” those who went south to find potential slaves “pilots;” those who guided slaves “conductors;” and the slaves “passengers.”
8. Just because individuals might have been opposed to slavery does not mean that they believed African Americans were equal.  Indiana law required free blacks to register in their county and pay a $500 bond assuring they would not be a nuisance.  The 1851 Indiana Constitution set aside money to send free blacks back to Africa, but did not allow new blacks to settle in Indiana.
9. No evidence has been found that quilts were used as ’signals’ in Indiana.
10. In 1998, the U.S. Congress mandated the National Park Service to complete a contextual study of the UGRR.  The Park Service did preliminary research, established guidelines for research, and challenged the State governments to do their own statewide-research.  The Indiana Department of Natural Resources-Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology was the only state government to take up this challenge.  Today, more states along with grassroots groups are working to find their own state’s UGRR heritage.

Taken from a pamphlet published by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources-Division of Historic Preservation and Archae0logy

Hi, I have placed a logo on the post entitled, “Michiana Freedom Trails Awareness Project brochure” entry below, so that it would be easier to download the brochure. Once again, you’ll need the free Adobe Acrobat Reader to view/print the brochure.
If you would like the brochure in another format, just email education@centerforhistory.org and let me know.

I have added some historic photos that deal with early local African American history. Scroll down and look towards the bottom of the right sidebar. Enjoy.