In considering the Underground Railroad, people often look at the intake states, such as Ohio and Pennsylvania. However, New York’s role was not only vital but has been often overlooked in the city’s history.
New York was a jumping-off hub. Once escapees reached New York, they could often make a single jump to Canada, on boats going up the Hudson River, or even occasionally on trains.
A museum of abolitionism and the Underground Railroad here would be a welcome tool in teaching tolerance, and a way of illustrating that some New Yorkers reached across barriers of intolerance to help others, at great risk.
For the full letter, click here. Our previous coverage can be found here.
