The Underground Railroad refers to the efforts of enslaved Afri– can Americans to gain their freedom through escape and flight—and the assistance of people who opposed slavery and willingly chose to help them to escape—through the end of the U.S. Civil War.
When was the Underground Railroad most active?
Established in the early 1800s and aided by people involved in the Abolitionist Movement, the underground railroad helped thousands of slaves escape bondage. By one estimate, 100,000 slaves escaped from bondage in the South between 1810 and 1850.
How do you explain the Underground Railroad to kids?
It went through people’s houses, barns, churches, and businesses. People who worked with the Underground Railroad cared about justice and wanted to end slavery. They risked their lives to help enslaved people escape from bondage, so they could remain safe on the route.
What did the Underground Railroad accomplish?
Ironically the Fugitive Slave Act increased Northern opposition to slavery and helped hasten the Civil War. The Underground Railroad gave freedom to thousands of enslaved women and men and hope to tens of thousands more.
What events led to the Underground Railroad?
The earliest mention of the Underground Railroad came in 1831 when enslaved man Tice Davids escaped from Kentucky into Ohio and his owner blamed an “underground railroad” for helping Davids to freedom.
What does Underground Railroad mean in history?
-Harriet Tubman, 1896. The Underground Railroad—the resistance to enslavement through escape and flight, through the end of the Civil War—refers to the efforts of enslaved African Americans to gain their freedom by escaping bondage. Wherever slavery existed, there were efforts to escape.
Does the Underground Railroad still exist?
It includes four buildings, two of which were used by Harriet Tubman. Ashtabula County had over thirty known Underground Railroad stations, or safehouses, and many more conductors. Nearly two-thirds of those sites still stand today.
What are some important facts about the Underground Railroad?
7 Facts About the Underground Railroad
- The Underground Railroad was neither underground nor a railroad.
- People used train-themed codewords on the Underground Railroad.
- The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 made it harder for enslaved people to escape.
- Harriet Tubman helped many people escape on the Underground Railroad.
How did slaves know where to go in the Underground Railroad?
The Underground Railroad was a secret system developed to aid fugitive slaves on their escape to freedom. The safe houses used as hiding places along the lines of the Underground Railroad were called stations. A lit lantern hung outside would identify these stations.
Who rode the Underground Railroad?
The Underground Railroad had many notable participants, including John Fairfield in Ohio, the son of a slaveholding family, who made many daring rescues, Levi Coffin, a Quaker who assisted more than 3,000 slaves, and Harriet Tubman, who made 19 trips into the South and escorted over 300 slaves to freedom.
What happened after the Underground Railroad?
After the passage of the Fugitive Slave Act as part of the Compromise of 1850 the Underground Railroad was rerouted to Canada as its final destination. Thousands of slaves settled in newly formed communities in Southern Ontario. Suddenly their job became more difficult and riskier.
How did Underground Railroad lead to civil war?
The Underground Railroad physically resisted the repressive laws that held slaves in bondage. By provoking fear and anger in the South, and prompting the enactment of harsh legislation that eroded the rights of white Americans, the Underground Railroad was a direct contributing cause of the Civil War.
Why was the Underground Railroad important to American history?
The underground railroad, where it existed, offered local service to runaway slaves, assisting them from one point to another. The primary importance of the underground railroad was that it gave ample evidence of African American capabilities and gave expression to African American philosophy.
Where did the Underground Railroad originate?
The Underground Railroad was created in the early 19th century by a group of abolitionists based mainly in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Within a few decades, it had grown into a well-organized and dynamic network. The term “Underground Railroad” began to be used in the 1830s.
Tips for Researching the Underground Railroad – National Underground Railroad Freedom Center
Primary materials are the most effective approach to gain an understanding of the Underground Railroad and the experiences of freedom seekers and conductors who used it. Sydney Howard Gay, a New York conductor, kept confidential notes on more than 200 political prisoners. William Still, a conductor on the Underground Railroad in Philadelphia, wrote the first book on the subject, which was released in 1872 and recounted his experiences assisting freedom seekers. Slave tales, which have been written in excess of 6,000 copies, can also give valuable information.
- Consult the Library of Congress’s collection of almost 2,300 first-person narratives of enslavement, Born in Slavery: Slave Narratives from the Federal Writers’ Project, 1936 to 1938
Secondary sources from abolitionists, abolitionist organizations and abolitionist newspapers
These three types of sources may be used to get information on freedom seekers, conductors, and safe houses. You can learn about them by reading their personal letters, diaries, organizational records, and newspaper articles:
- The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History
- The Library of Congress: Frederick Douglass Newspapers, 1847-1874
- Documenting the American South: Levi Coffin Papers, 1798-1877
- The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History
Books
A slew of novels have been produced about the Underground Railroad, freedom seekers, and conductors, among other subjects. Check out what’s available at your local library or bookshop. A short search on the internet may be beneficial for your study. Check that any books you cite were authored by a credible source, such as John Hope Franklin, Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Eric Foner, or David Blight, before citing them.
- To get you started, we recommend the following: Eric Foner’s Gateway to Freedom: The Untold Story of the Underground Railroad is a must-read.
Local and state historical societies
Inquiring with your local or state history organization is an excellent approach to learn whether or if there was Underground Railroad activity in your neighborhood. These folks are experts in all elements of your local or state history, and they are an excellent source of information.
- If you reside in Ohio, you should check out the Ohio History Connection website.
National and state park services
Look at Ohio History Connection if you happen to reside in the state.
Colleges and universities
It’s possible that local history instructors can assist you in the proper path if you’re not sure where to begin your investigation. Some of them may also be specialists on the history of the Underground Railroad, as well as individual conductors and freedom seekers who took part in it. A number of schools and institutions have created online databases that are devoted to certain historical themes and periods. Here are a few illustrations:
- Eastern Illinois University, the Yale University Macmillan Center: Gilder Lehrman Center for the Study of Slavery, Resistance, and Abolition, and the Harvard University Hutchins Center for African American Research are among the institutions involved.
Public libraries
Eastern Illinois University, Yale University Macmillan Center: Gilder Lehrman Center for the Study of Slavery, Resistance, and Abolition, and the Hutchins Center for African American Research at Harvard University
Library of Congress and National Archives
The Library of Congress and the National Archives are two reputable and respected databases to search for information. In contrast to Google and other public search engines, documents on these websites are subjected to a verification and authentication procedure before being published. Using the search term “Underground Railroad,” you will receive over 40,000 “results” from the Library of Congress.
Museums
We believe that interactive learning is an excellent method to educate yourself and your family about the Underground Railroad, and that museums like ours provide a variety of learning opportunities. Look up which museums are nearest to you and make a visit to one of them.
- Tickets to the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center can be purchased online
Documentaries
If you’re seeking for a basic introduction to the Underground Railroad, I recommend seeing a well-regarded documentary about the subject matter.
You will get an informative and inspirational understanding of the Underground Railroad and William Still, a great American hero, via the viewing of Underground Railroad: The William Still Story.
The Underground Railroad
At the time of slavery, the Underground Railroad was a network of routes, locations, and individuals that assisted enslaved persons in the American South in their attempts to flee to freedom in the northern states. Subjects History of the United States, Social StudiesImage
Home of Levi Coffin
Levi Coffin’s residence in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he lived as an American Quaker and abolitionist. This was a station on the Underground Railroad, a network of routes, locations, and individuals that assisted enslaved persons in escaping to the North during the Civil War. Cincinnati Museum Center provided the photography. “> During the age of slavery, the Underground Railroad was a network of routes, locations, and individuals that assisted enslaved persons in the American South in escaping to the North, according to the Underground Railroad Museum.
Although it was not a real railroad, it fulfilled the same function as one: it carried passengers across large distances.
The people who worked for the Underground Railroad were driven by a passion for justice and a desire to see slavery abolished—a drive that was so strong that they risked their lives and jeopardized their own freedom in order to assist enslaved people in escaping from bondage and staying safe while traveling the Underground Railroad.
- As the network expanded, the railroad metaphor became more prevalent.
- In recent years, academic research has revealed that the vast majority of persons who engaged in the Underground Railroad did it on their own, rather than as part of a larger organization.
- According to historical tales of the railroad, conductors frequently pretended to be enslaved persons in order to smuggle runaways out of plantation prisons and train stations.
- Often, the conductors and passengers traveled 16–19 kilometers (10–20 miles) between each safehouse stop, which was a long distance in this day and age.
- Patrols on the lookout for enslaved persons were usually on their tails, chasing them down.
- Historians who study the railroad, on the other hand, find it difficult to distinguish between fact and fiction.
- Eric Foner is one of the historians that belongs to this group.
- Despite this, the Underground Railroad was at the center of the abolitionist struggle during the nineteenth century.
- Levi Coffin’s residence in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he lived as an American Quaker and abolitionist.
- Cincinnati Museum Center provided the photography.
- Person who is owned by another person or group of people is referred to as an enslaved person.
Slavery is a noun that refers to the act of owning another human being or being owned by another human being (also known as servitude). Abolitionists utilized this nounsystem between 1800 and 1865 to aid enslaved African Americans in their attempts to flee to free states.
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Identifying Underground Railroad Resources
Fountain City, Indiana is home to the Levi Coffin House. The image is courtesy of waynet.org Despite the fact that there is much about the Underground Railroad (UGRR) that we will never understand, and despite the fact that those involved in the effort were not always interested in leaving written evidence of their activities, they could not avoid leaving footprints of their existence and activities in a variety of ways. As a result, researchers working on the UGRR have access to a diverse collection of primary and secondary materials that can assist them in learning about and interpreting the UGRR.
While establishing your point will be difficult, there are actions you may do to support your argument.
- Fountain City, Indiana’s Levi Coffin House Waynet.org provided the image. However, even though there is a great deal about the Underground Railroad (UGRR) that we will never understand, and even though those who worked on it were not always interested in leaving written evidence of their activities, they were unable to avoid leaving footprints in the form of their existence and activities in various forms. As a result, researchers working on the UGRR have access to a diverse collection of primary and secondary materials that can assist them in learning about and interpreting the UGRR’s findings. You have information about a person who you believe took part in the UGRR mission. There are actions you may do to help prove your claim, even if demonstrating it is difficult.
- Levi Coffin House is located near Fountain City, Indiana. Thanks to waynet.org for the photo. Despite the fact that there is much about the Underground Railroad (UGRR) that we will never understand, and despite the fact that those involved in the effort were not always interested in leaving written evidence of their activities, they were unable to avoid leaving footprints of their existence and activities in a variety of ways. Consequently, researchers working on the UGRR have access to a diverse collection of primary and secondary materials that can assist them in learning about and interpreting the UGRR. You have information about a person who you suspect was involved in the UGRR. While demonstrating this is difficult, there are actions you may do to support your claim.
- The next step is to go through the local newspapers to see what you can locate. Slave evasion, abolitionist gatherings, and the general public’s views on slavery, abolition, and the Underground Railroad may all be found in newspapers from the time period
- Abolitionist papers are another set of newspapers to consult. Whether it’s a national publication like thePhilanthropist or a locally produced piece out of Fort Wayne, Indiana, these resources can offer meeting information, officer names, historical events, and other clues about the organization. A list of newspapers and their repositories in Indiana may be acquired from the Indiana Department of Health and Human Services
- Many persons who took part in the Underground Railroad wrote about their experiences in their newspapers. There is a possibility that these materials are stored in your local historical society. The daily lives of people are described in these diaries, which sometimes only make brief remarks of criminal conduct. Many anti-slavery or abolitionist organizations operated in Indiana at the period. If they maintained minutes, they might be able to tell us who was there and how they participated. Oftentimes, historical societies and libraries will have copies of these types of sources
- For example, the Indiana Historical Society contains a set of minutes from the Indiana Anti-Slavery Society. Professor Wilbur H. Siebert’s papers are housed in the Wilbur Siebert Papers collection. Siebert (1866-1961) was a Professor of History at the Ohio State University who specialized in the history of the United Nations and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). His research offers one of the most comprehensive collections of letters and interviews with participants available anywhere in the world. In the 1890s, Siebert collected records and reminiscences from elderly abolitionists or their descendants. The Underground Railroad from Slavery to Freedom(New York: The Macmillan Company, 1898), while largely concerned with Ohio, also had extensive material about Indiana. A collection of microfilm rolls containing the Indiana papers is kept in the Indiana State Library’s Manuscript Division. In addition to an index of the materials available in the State Library, a website dedicated to the DHPA is available.
Underground Railroad Resources
- It is necessary to go through local publications to see what information you can uncover. Newspapers during the time period may provide information about escaped slaves, abolitionist gatherings, and the general view of the community regarding slavery, abolition, and the Underground Railroad
- Another group of newspapers to consult is the abolitionists’ press. A national publication like thePhilanthropist or a locally produced article out of Fort Wayne, Indiana, these materials can provide meeting information, the names of officers, significant events, and clues to the location of the meeting. DHPA can provide you with a list of newspapers and their repositories in Indiana
- Many people who were involved in the Underground Railroad wrote about their experiences in newspapers and their repositories. Your local historical society may have copies of these documents. Many anti-slavery or abolitionist organizations operated in Indiana, and these diaries often contain just brief allusions of this unlawful activity while focusing on the daily lives of individuals
- This information may be revealed if they kept minutes, which would reveal who took part and how. Oftentimes, historical societies and libraries will have copies of these types of sources
- For example, the Indiana Historical Association has a copy of the minutes of the Indiana Anti-Slavery society
- And so on. Wilbur Siebert Papers – Wilbur H. Siebert was a professor at the University of Illinois. The Ohio State University’s Siebert (1866-1961) was a Professor of History, with a particular interest in the United Nations General Assembly in Rome (UGRR). A collection of letters and interviews with participants from his research is one of the most complete collections available. The 1890s saw Siebert collecting records and recollections from elderly abolitionists and their descendants. The Underground Railroad from Slavery to Freedom(New York: The Macmillan Company, 1898), while largely concerned with Ohio, also contained a significant amount of material on Indiana. The Indiana State Library’s Manuscript Division has microfilm rolls of the state’s documents on display. In addition to an index of the materials available in the State Library, a website dedicated to the DHPA is available
Youth Activities
Stephen and Harriet Myers would be pleased if they could still see their former students in action today! Stephen Myers, who was born into slavery in or around 1800, began his life as a slave in Hoosick, New York. As soon as he was released at the age of 18 and began his married life with Harriet (Johnson) Myers, Stephen became involved in supporting freedom-seeking slaves at his house, and he became highly engaged in Albany’s African-American society. Along with supporting hundreds of people on their way to freedom, Stephen was a vocal proponent and advocate for employment and education opportunities for African Americans.
- Stephen contributed to various anti-slavery newspapers of the day, and for a while he was in charge of printing and contributing to The Northern Star and The Freeman’s Advocate, among other publications.
- Myers and his wife were committed to aiding the people of their community in obtaining essential human rights, including access to education and work.
- Myers and his wife believed that education and job skills, as well as access to voting rights, were important.
- Many young women are studying horticulture from specialists, thanks to a greenhouse on Saint Anne’s grounds and to the skills of Master Gardeners who care for the garden at the Stephen and Harriet Myers Underground Railroad Historical Site.
- The beliefs of the Myers family are reflected in the practices of the Saint Anne Institute in the present era.
- The purpose of the period was to mix labor and study, and it began as a “school of industry and reformatory of the Good Shepherd.” It taught a variety of skills, including commercial and trade sewing as well as beautiful needlework.
- Saint Anne has developed programs to assist and educate young people who are at risk as a result of the evolution and changing requirements of this generation.
- For the young people who come to Saint Anne at a time of need, group therapy, sexual abuse counseling, drug addiction counseling, and grief and loss counseling are all provided.
- The young ladies have the chance to work in a variety of places, including clerical work, culinary preparation, the campus clothes shop, and aiding in the pre-school.
- “We devote all of our time to the care of the oppressed who come among us,” writes Stephen Myers.
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To see their ideals still in work today would bring Stephen and Harriet Myers great satisfaction. Stephen Myers began his life as a slave in Hoosick, New York, after being born into slavery somewhere about 1800. After attaining his freedom at the age of 18 and beginning his married life with Harriet (Johnson) Myers, Stephen rapidly became involved in supporting freedom-seeking slaves at his house and became highly engaged in Albany’s African-American society as a result of his experiences. While supporting hundreds of people on their way to freedom, Stephen also served as an ardent proponent and advocate for employment and education opportunities for African Americans.
- The Northern Star and the Freeman’s Advocate, two anti-slavery publications of the day, published and contributed to Stephen’s writings, which were published in numerous of the journals of the day at the time.
- Myers and his wife were committed to supporting the people of their community in gaining essential human rights, as well as access to education and work.
- Myers and his wife advocated for education and job skills, as well as voting rights.
- Many young women are studying horticulture from specialists, thanks to a greenhouse on Saint Anne’s grounds and to the skills of Master Gardeners who care for the garden on the Stephen and Harriet Myers Underground Railroad Historical Site.
- The beliefs of the Myers family are reflected in the work of Saint Anne Institute today.
Working and studying were merged in the purpose of the time as a “school of industry and reformatory of the Good Shepherd.” As the social roles of women in America began to shift in the 1940s and 1950s, a comprehensive high school was established in 1945, teaching a variety of crafts such as commercial and trade sewing, exquisite needlework, homemaking, and business.
Anne has developed programs to assist and educate at-risk young people in response to the development and changing needs of young women.
For the young people who come to Saint Anne at a moment of crisis, group therapy, sexual abuse counseling, drug addiction counseling, and grief and loss counseling are all provided.
Clerical labor, culinary preparation, the campus apparel shop, and aiding in the pre-school are just a few of the numerous places where the young women have the chance to get valuable job experiences.
According to Stephen Myers, “We devote all of our time to the care of the oppressed who come among us.” Despite the fact that our remuneration is little, we are eager to continue to do all we can to help them.” The fact that the young women worked with the Master Gardeners and then planted on the spot where Stephen and Harriet Myers provided so much assistance is a monument to the depth of Albany’s lengthy history and the devotion of both institutions to fundamental human dignity and freedom.
- Individual and group therapy are provided by Therapy Aid at no cost to frontline health care personnel. Therapy Aid is a non-profit organization. The Emotional PPE Project connects health-care providers with qualified mental-health specialists who may provide guidance and support. This service is provided at no cost and without the need for insurance. COVID Mental Health Support, provided by the Pandemic Crisis Services Response Coalition, is a free mental health resource that may be searched by location. Those involved in the medical field, first responders, and veterans can receive free counseling through TheBattle Within. A wide range of private therapists are available to deal with clients who are suffering a crisis, such as bereavement, worry, stress, or trauma. 911 For first responders and their families, such as police officers, firefighters, paramedics, emergency medical technicians, and other vital agencies, At Ease International provides access to free trauma-informed therapy.
Underground Railroad in Iowa
Initially funded by the National Park Service’s Network to Freedom program in 2002, the Iowa Network to Freedom project, which investigated persons and locations involved with the Underground Railroad in Iowa, became the Iowa Freedom Trail Project in 2003. After a five-year period of grant funding, volunteers have continued to collect information from historical resources and compile it into a form containing general information, such as biographical data, resource references, associated properties, and researcher information, among other things, to be used by the public.
- Individuals (by name)
- Individuals (by county)
- Places (by county)
- Research Files (by county)
- Inventory of Individuals (by name)
- Inventory of Places (by county)
- Inventory of Research Files
If you have any concerns concerning the Iowa Freedom Trail Project, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Researching Underground Railroad Activity
Since 2002, volunteers at the State Historical Society of Iowa have been doing research into the Underground Railroad’s presence in the state. The research and biographical form instructions can be found here. If you are interested in researching Underground Railroad activity in Iowa and have access to historical documents and primary sources, please review the instructions for submitting a research and biographical form to learn how you can contribute to the project.
- Instructions for the Research and Biographical Form
- Biographical Form
- Sample Biographical Form
- Biographical Form
Iowa and the Underground Railroad
Beginning in the late 1700s and continuing until the conclusion of the Civil War in 1865, the Underground Railroad was a network of people who assisted runaway slaves in their attempts to escape slavery. It included both northern and southern states, spanning from Texas all the way up to Maine. The vast majority of runaway slaves fled to Canada from the Deep South, although a minor number journeyed further south to Mexico and the Caribbean. Due to the fact that slaves were considered property in the United States at the time, helping runaway slaves was deemed larceny under American law at the time.
- Prior to the American Revolution, slavery was lawful across the British Empire, including the United States.
- These principles would transform the lives of black people, and many of them fought in the American Revolution in the hope that these rights would be given to them as well.
- Vermont became the first state in the new United States of America to pass anti-slavery legislation after the British were defeated in the Revolutionary War in 1777.
- Apart from that, there were no laws in the newly created United States that forced civilians to return fugitive slaves to their owners.
- The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 and Article IV, section 2 of the United States Constitution both stated similar views on the subject at the time.
- Taking it a step further, the Fleeing Slave Act of 1850 declared aiding and abetting fugitive slaves a federal felony punishable by penalties or jail.
- As the Underground Railroad network began to take shape, people began to fill a number of positions inside it.
Fugitive slaves were often referred to as passengers, cargo, fleece, or freight when they were on the run.
Others choose to play a more passive role.
The modes of transportation used varied from one region to the next, and were mostly determined by concealment and closeness to slave hunters.
In contrast to this, the majority of fleeing slaves travelled at night, particularly in towns with ambivalent sentiments regarding slavery.
In the middle of the night, conductors would walk or ride horses to the next station to transport them.
Because of its physical proximity between Missouri, a slave state to the south, and Illinois, a free state to the east, Iowa saw a substantial amount of Underground Railroad activity during this period.
That meant that when Iowa became a state in the Union in 1846, it would be a free state.
Most fugitive slaves crossed through Iowa on their route to other free states farther north or to Canada, where Britain would protect them from being arrested and returned to slavery.
Southeastern Iowa was also home to a large number of fugitive slaves from northern Missouri who were making their way to the Mississippi River and Illinois.
Numerous Iowans also became involved in the growing political opposition to the expansion of slavery into the Kansas and Nebraska Territories, which culminated in the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854, which repealed the Missouri Compromise and granted Kansas and Nebraska the authority to determine their own slave-holding status.
You may get further information about the history of the Underground Railroad and anti-slavery movements in Iowa and other states by clicking here. Take a look at the resources listed below.
- The John Brown Freedom Trail (1859)
- Abolitionist Movement Primary Sources
- Underground Railroad Primary Sources
- Underground Railroad Sites in the Iowa Culture mobile app
Cross-Curricular Activities About the Underground Railroad
Abolitionist Movement primary sources; Underground Railroad primary sources; Underground Railroad sites may be found on the Iowa Culture mobile app; John Brown Freedom Trail 1859; Abolitionist Movement primary sources; Underground Railroad primary sources; Abolitionist Movement primary sources
Abolitionism and the Underground Railroad NEH Summer Seminar
Frederick Douglass is a public domain author. While upstate New York will serve as the institute’s “laboratory,” readings, conversations, and individual study will be conducted on the evolution of abolitionism and the Underground Railroad across the United States and beyond. With the help of Karen Wulf’s renowned work in the Humanities, “Vast Early America,” this institution hopes to learn more about how enslaved individuals fought captivity throughout North America. In the institution, geography and chronology are intertwined.
- During the post-Revolutionary War years of northern laws that gradually emancipated African Americans after years of servitude to masters, old debates over the nature of slavery and opposition to it resurfaced.
- The state of New York passed progressive emancipation legislation in 1799, and legal servitude was abolished in 1827.
- At the same time, a rising educated African American elite sought to protect endangered freedoms and fight kidnappers who were intent on profiting from the illegal sale of blacks to southern states.
- The emergence of a southern Underground Railroad into Spanish-controlled Florida, Texas, and Mexico is being investigated by the institution using more recent sources.
- Internal arguments centered on political politics, which many people believed had been perverted by slavery and which unapologetically excluded black people and all women.
- This year’s institute will include work by a wide range of academics, including Manisha Sinha and Richard Blackett as well as Kate Larson and Eric Foner.
- Institute colleagues will collaborate with Jacqueline Simmons of Teachers College, Columbia University, in order to translate scholarly findings into instructional knowledge and understanding.
Podcasts, videocasts, and digital portfolios will be created in collaboration with participants by Simmons and Hodges.
First-year students to read The Underground Railroad
Federal Reserve Notes on Frederick Douglass While upstate New York will serve as the institute’s “laboratory,” readings, conversations, and individual study will be conducted on the evolution of abolitionism and the Underground Railroad throughout the United States and Canada. It is the goal of this institution to investigate how enslaved people in North America resisted slavery by using Karen Wulf’s important work in the Humanities, “Vast Early America.” In the institute, geography is combined with chronology.
- The rise of gradual emancipation, post-revolutionary northern laws that gradually emancipated African Americans after years of servitude to masters, rekindled old debates about the essence of slavery and the nature of resistance to slavery.
- Progressive emancipation was established in 1799 in New York State; legal servitude was abolished in 1827.
- At the same time, a rising educated African American elite sought to protect endangered freedoms and fight kidnappers who were intent on profiting from the illegal sale of blacks to southern states.
- The emergence of a southern Underground Railroad into Spanish-controlled Florida, Texas, and Mexico is being investigated by the institution, which is using more up-to-date sources.
- In-house conversations centered on electoral politics, which many considered as contaminated by slavery and which unapologetically barred black people as well as all female candidates.
- In addition to Manisha Sinha and Richard Blackett, Kate Larson and Eric Foner, Kelt Carter Jackson and Alice Baumgartner, Amy Murrell Taylor, Karen Cook-Bell, and Graham Hodges, the institution will include contemporary work by a wide range of experts.
For podcasts, videocasts, and digital portfolios, Simmons and Hodges will collaborate with participants one-on-one.
Barry Jenkins on bringing his adaptation of ‘The Underground Railroad’ to life
Barry Jenkins is best known for directing two of the most harrowingly intimate films of the last decade: “Moonlight” (2016), an Oscar-winning coming-of-age portrait, and “If Beale Street Could Talk” (2018), a haunting drama based on a book by James Baldwin that won the film’s best director award at the Venice Film Festival. Jenkins, on the other hand, delivers a story on a substantially larger scale with “The Underground Railroad,” a harrowing 10-part adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Colson Whitehead that immerses viewers in a vast storyline that is both factual and mythical.
- Cora is chased by merciless bounty hunter Arnold Ridgeway (Joel Edgerton) during her perilous trek across the antebellum South, and she is plagued by memories of her mother, Mabel (Sheila Atim), whose tragic death gradually comes into focus.
- The following dialogue has been minimally altered for brevity and clarity purposes only.
- Barry Jenkins is a writer and director who lives in Los Angeles.
- It’s important to note that both the novel and the series begin in Georgia, so I anticipated that those visuals would be pretty intense.
- I’ve always thought that it needed to be a series rather than a single film.
- When you enter into a movie theater, you are essentially surrendering your power; while, at home, you have complete control over your surroundings and the movie.
- Beautiful images and joyful moments may be found throughout the series.
Are you comfortable discussing the set’s setting while on set?
I remember the studio recommending — I mean, practically insisting — that we shoot on location from the very beginning of our negotiations.
Kim White was on the site at all times, and she was always smiling.
It was important for everyone to understand that if the work we were doing became overwhelming, they had the right to halt, to take a minute for themselves, and to schedule a consultation with Kim.
On the set of “The Underground Railroad,” Barry Jenkins, center, is seen with Thuso Mbedu, who plays Cora Randall, and other cast members.
However, I believe that the question contains an answer to something that was really important to me, namely, that I did not want these visuals to be too taxing on the viewer’s emotions.
Everything in every episode is meticulously detailed, from the set design and costumes to the texture of everyday life: dirt beneath fingernails and beads of sweat on foreheads.
You know, Colson had already taken care of a lot of this for us.
It was immediately apparent that we needed to transfer some of the texture, as you put it, from the page to the screen during the translation process.
Despite the fact that it is historical fiction, I wanted it to seem as authentic as possible.
Our preproduction facility was located in an entire wing of this primary school, which belonged to him.
Upon entering this wing, you would be able to tell what the aim was, that this was the purpose, and that this was the representation we were attempting to convey.
The fact that someone created something in ten hours is noteworthy.
I had completely forgotten about the remark from the video until now.
I actually purchased “Dekalog” off of eBay when I was in film school just to see what it was about.
I was somewhat of taken aback.
I was working on “Moonlight” at the time, and it didn’t occur to me at the time that “Oh, I believe you could be on the path to creating this.” It’s a good thing, since otherwise I could have felt the strain to live up to Kielowski’s standards or the weight of having to complete a 10-hour project.
It had something to do with the task for the day.
Was there any particular movie or television series that you had in mind when you were creating the visual language for each new episode?
In terms of film allusions, we didn’t come across too many.
Bill Henson’s photography is shown here.
That particular film was broadcast on the Criterion Channel — I hadn’t seen it in years — and it was the only thing I let myself to see while working on this project.
Kyle Kaplan is a producer at Amazon Studios.
You’re a filmmaker who puts a lot of thought into the audiovisual experience you create for your audience.
It’s both a blessing and a curse, in my opinion.
Neither they have the financial means nor the physical ability to make the trip.
However, I believe that the shared communal experience, as well as the larger-than-life experience, have a very profound impact on people’s lives.
I believe that the film, or more specifically, the theater, is the most authentic portrayal of the art form.
I would be quite unhappy if there were no more movie theaters in the future. While this is true, I believe that conveying the tale in this format was the most effective method to tell it. What I’m trying to express is that we require both.