“We took to ourselves liberty”

News Release Date:
October 22, 2021

Contact:Judith Wellman, 315 529-7808

On Tuesday, October 26, a Zoom presentation on the Underground Railroad in Oneida County, NY will be hosted by Fort Stanwix National Monument and park partners. This report, "We took to ourselves liberty:" Historic Sites Relating to the Underground Railroad, Abolitionism, and African American Life in Oneida County and Beyond, is the culmination of a two-year project sponsored by Fort Stanwix National Monument through the National Park Service and the Organization of American Historians. Presenters will include Judith Wellman, Principal Investigator, and researchers and writers Jan DeAmicis, Jessica Clarke Harney, Milton Sernett, and Deirdre Sinnott.

The Underground Railroad was one of America's monumental stories, a multi-racial civil rights movement of epic proportions. Before the Civil War, as many as 100,000 people escaped from slavery, some alone and some with help from allies of African, European, and Native descent. As a major transportation hub, Oneida County became a center of this national movement. Most freedom seekers went through Oneida County to Canada. Many also settled here. This program gives examples of homes, workplaces, military sites, and transportation routes that help tell these remarkable stories.

The program begins at 2 pm, on October 26. Registration is free. The registration link is as follows: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_EqJXL8IwSZSFhPIoVcwsIg

Fort Stanwix is one of over 400 parks in the National Park System. To learn more about national parks, visit www.nps.gov. For information about park history, please contact. 315-338-7730, or visit the park's web page at www.nps.gov/fost. Follow us on Facebook or Instagram, for additional information about the park and up-to-date news. - NPS -

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