His major contributions to the Underground Railroad include sending runaway slaves to Canada from Albany. Myers’s newspaper the Northern Star also served as another Underground Railroad organization.
When did Underground Railroad Education Center buy this building?
- Underground Railroad Education Center purchased it in 2004. The building, privately owned from when it was built in 1847, had suffered from serious neglect. Since its purchase, scores of volunteers have helped bring the house back to what it was in the 1850’s.
What did Stephen Myers do?
Stephen Myers held a variety of jobs over his lifetime but he is best known as a leader of the local Albany, New York Underground Railroad before the Civil War. Myers was also a prominent publisher who became an effective abolitionist lobbyist.
Who is Harriet Myers?
Harriet Ellan Miers (born August 10, 1945) is an American lawyer who served as White House Counsel to President George W. Bush from 2005 to 2007.
How many tournaments has sandstorm won?
STORY OF 2019 Sandstorm entered sixteen 1v1 tournaments, placed first in nine, top three in the rest, and sustained a five tournament win streak.
What job did Clarence Thomas have before?
Thomas was successively assistant attorney general in Missouri (1974–77), a lawyer with the Monsanto Company (1977–79), and a legislative assistant to Republican Senator John C. Danforth of Missouri (1979–81).
What job did Clarence Thomas have before he was nominated for the Supreme Court?
Thomas began his legal career as an assistant attorney general of Missouri. He worked as a legislative assistant to Sen. John Danforth (R) before being appointed assistant secretary for civil rights in the U.S. Department of Education by President Ronald Reagan (R).
Who nominated Stephen Breyer?
In 1994, President Clinton appointed Breyer to the Supreme Court of the United States. Clinton had considered Breyer for a spot on the Supreme Court the year before as well, but Breyer lost the spot to Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
Did Clarence Thomas work for Monsanto?
Yet none of them linger on the almost three years he worked for Monsanto (it was his only private-sector experience) or the two subsequent years he spent advising Senator John Danforth—a Republican from Missouri—on environmental and energy issues.
Individual biography
Stephen Myers was born into slavery in the town of Hoosick, New York, around 1800. Later, he moved in with Dr. Jonathan Eights, the father of famous artist James Eights, who was living at 92 Pearl Street at the time. Stephen became a free man at the age of eighteen. In 1827, Stephen married Harriet Johnson of Troy, the daughter of Abraham and Catherine Johnson, whose family owned and managed a sloop on the Hudson River that transported freight between Albany and New York City throughout the early nineteenth century.
After a variety of residences throughout Albany, the only one that remains is at 194 Livingston Avenue, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places in the United States, the New York State Underground Railroad Heritage Trail, and the National Park Service’s National Network to Freedom.
In 1842, he began publishing in the Elevator, “a short-lived abolitionist newspaper,” which he described as “abolitionist sheet.” The Northern Star and Freeman’s Advocate, a “anti-slavery and reform journal” for local free blacks, was launched a short time later by the couple.
The Myers earned the reputation of having the “best-organized section of the Underground Railroad in New York State,” which was noted by abolitionist leader David Ruggles in New York City and praised by Frederick Douglas.
- When Congress approved the Compromise of 1850, it contained the Fugitive Slave Law, which increased the danger of abolitionist activities by allowing runaway slaves seeking sanctuary in Canada to enter the country.
- Later in life, he founded another newspaper, The Telegraph and Journal, in which he pushed for Black voting rights in New York, as well as for the availability of affordable housing.
- Stephen Douglass attended the National Convention of Colored People in 1855, and their publication, Frederick Douglass’ Paper, was absorbed into his company.
- It was meant to be a town similar to Weeksville in Brooklyn, where “black people might live and work.
- However, by 1860, the region had been abandoned due to the difficulty of farming the soil, the fact that it was separated from marketplaces where inhabitants could sell their products, and the absence of suitable water supplies.
- For a period of time, he worked at the Delevan House, a temperance hotel on Broadway in New York City.
- Stephen was able to provide opportunities for escaped slaves while also lobbying people in positions of authority.
- Stephen passed away on February 13, 1870, and was laid to rest in the family plot of land.
- The downtrodden who have come among us are taken care of by us with all of our time.
Despite the fact that our remuneration is meager, we are willing to continue to do what we can to help them. The arrivals from southern tyranny arrive once or twice a week, and they are forwarded to the new depot.” Stephen Myers was born in 1860.
Stephen Myers (abolitionist) – Wikipedia
Stephen Myers | |
---|---|
Born | c. 1800Albany, New York |
Died | February 13, 1870 (aged 69–70)Albany, New York |
Nationality | American |
Occupation | Abolitionist,Newspaper editor |
He was born into slavery on the Hoosick Indian Reservation in New York State in the year 1800. Later on, he moved in with Dr. Jonathan Eights, the father of famous artist James Eights, who lived at 92 Pearl Street with his family. Stephen became a free man after he was eighteen years of age. On December 31, 1827, Stephen married Harriet Johnson of Troy, the daughter of Abraham and Catherine Johnson, whose family owned and managed a sloop along the Hudson River, transporting freight between Albany and New York City at the time.
Despite the fact that they lived in a variety of locations throughout Albany, the only one that has survived is at 194 Livingston Avenue, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the New York State Underground Railroad Heritage Trail, and the National Park Service’s National Network to Freedom.
- The Elevator, a “short-lived abolitionist newspaper,” was his first publication, which he established in 1842 and ended in 1843.
- Their home, as well as the office of the newspaper, were utilized as a stopover for slaves from the South who were seeking refuge in the area.
- As a leader in the anti-slavery movement towards the end of the 1840s, Stephen was a member of the Albany Vigilance Committee, an abolitionist organisation for which he served as General Agent and Superintendent, among other positions.
- While sitting on the executive committee of the first American labor organization, the American League of Colored Laborers, Myers continued to be an outspoken advocate of the movement’s founding principles.
- A member of the Albany Suffrage Club and the New York State Suffrage Association, which worked to have the state’s constitution amended to remove the requirement that African-Americans pay a $250 real estate tax when purchasing a home.
- The establishment of a black-run community in upstate New York appealed to Stephen, who served as a trustee of the Florence Farming and Lumber Association in Oneida, NY, which saw the benefits of economic growth.
- and make a life for themselves,” it was supposed to be similar to Brooklyn’s Weeksville neighborhood.
- Stephen worked in a variety of roles throughout his life, from Lake George to New York City, among other places.
- As their headwaiter, Stephen was a well-known location for abolitionists seeking a place to rest their heads.
- In 1865, Harriet died at the age of 57, on September 2, in the year 1865.
- Stephen and Harriet Myers Middle School in Albany, New York, is named in honor of the two people.
Even if our remuneration is meager, we are willing to continue doing all in our power to help them.n’t they deserve it? The arrivals from southern oppression arrive once or twice a week, and they are transferred to the new facility.” 1850s – Stephen Myers
Birth and early life
During the year 1800, Stephen Myers was born as a slave in the town of Hoosick, in the state of New York. It is said that his owner, General Warren, relinquished control of him in 1818. Warren’s identity, on the other hand, continues to be a source of conjecture, and it has been observed that there are no records of Myers’ manumission in the Albany County archives. The couple moved into the house at 194 Livingston Avenue in Albany when he was released from prison in 1827. He met and married Harriet Johnson in Troy, New York, and they had a child together.
Underground Railroad contributions
One of his most significant contributions to the Underground Railroad was the transportation of escaping slaves to Canada from Albany. Another Underground Railroad entity was Myers’ newspaper, theNorthern Star, which was also published by Myers. As a result of its greater exposure, the publication amplified abolitionist rhetoric, but the group also collaborated with the Vigilance Committee to gather cash and offer safe places for fugitive slaves. While they were working together, Myers and Rev.
As a result of both sides blaming the other of not offering enough assistance to slaves seeking to elude capture, the situation became tense.
This conflict finally died down, and Myers went on to become a member of the Albany Vigilance Committee in the 1850s, eventually rising to the position of chairman for nearly three years during that period.
An unusual aspect of this story was that Myers’s hosting of escaped slaves in his house was not handled as a secret affair; rather, it was simply treated as general knowledge in the context of Myers’s participation in the Underground Railroad.
Later life and death
Myers subsequently combined theNorthern Star with another newspaper known as theTrue American to become theImpartial Citizen, which was based in Syracuse, New York and carried articles on a variety of topics. Despite its short lifespan of barely two years, this newspaper finally went bankrupt in 1851. Myers devoted the remainder of his life to assisting the railroad and recruiting for the Army in order to assist them in obtaining more black volunteers for the war effort. The death of his wife, Harriet, occurred in 1865.
See also
- “Myers, Stephen (1800-1870)” is a biographical sketch. BlackPast.org. ab”The Vigilance Committee in Albany. – Underground Railroad History Project”. Retrieved 2018-11-26
- Ab”The Vigilance Committee in Albany. – Underground Railroad History Project”. Project on the History of the Underground Railroad. Ripley, Peter (2018-11-26)
- Retrieved on 2018-11-26
- (1991). In The Black Abolitionist Papers, Vol. IV, published by the University of North Carolina Press, pp. 326–330. Wilbur Siebert is the author of this work (1898). From Slavery to Freedom, the Underground Railroad was a vital link. The Macmillan Company, New York, New York
African American Transportation History: Stephen Myers, Steamboat Steward and Underground Railroad Leader
He was a prominent African-American civil rights activist and Underground Railroad leader in his native state of New York, and he died in the year 2000. While working to achieve the freedom of fugitive slaves in the decades before the Civil War and liberation, he made use of his extensive understanding of the state’s water transportation infrastructure to assist in the process. Myers was born a slave in the area of Albany, New York’s state capital, in 1800, but was emancipated when he reached the age of eighteen.
- Steamboat steward was one of Myers’ numerous professions that proved to be very significant for him and many others throughout their time on the water.
- Harriet Johnson, whose family had nautical links and even owned a boat that moved freight across the Hudson River, may have been the inspiration for his water-based art, which may have begun following his marriage to her in 1827.
- By the 1850s, Myers had risen to the position of leader of the Underground Railroad network in the Albany vicinity.
- It was during this period that he gained widespread recognition as operator of one of the most effective connections in the whole Underground Railroad system.
- Many escaped slaves were transported from the Hudson River to western New York via the Erie Canal or Canada via the Champlain Canal, thanks to his shrewd use of such advantages.
Myers passed away in 1870. He was laid to rest in Albany Rural Cemetery, which is located just outside the city limits of Albany, the state capital of New York. Please see this website for further information about Stephen Myers.
Upstate’s forgotten abolitionists: Stephen Myers helped hundreds to find their freedom
Upstate New York was a hub for the abolitionist movement and the Underground Railroad throughout the 19th century, according to historians. Famous people with names like Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass, and Gerrit Smith are well-known today. In addition to these heroes, there were others from the region, both white and black, who battled for the abolition of slavery and whose names have since faded into history. During this Black History Month, after poring over ancient newspapers and websites, we take a look back at some of Upstate New York’s forgotten abolitionists who were active during the Civil War.
- In 1860, Myers stated, “We dedicate all of our time to the care of the oppressed who come among us.” “Although we receive a meager wage, we are determined to continue to do what we can to help them.
- In 1800, he was born into slavery in the town of Hoosick, New York, which is located north of Albany.
- In 1827, he tied the knot with Harriet Johnson, whose family owned a sloop that cruised between Albany and New York City at the time.
- In the 1830s, the pair began supporting slaves on the Underground Railroad, presumably by ferrying them north on the family boat.
Their efforts are summed up in this letter to John Jay II from December 1860: “There have been more fugitives fled from the south in the last eight weeks than there have been in any four months previously.” We had eight people in one party, including men, women, and children, including two from South Carolina and one from Georgia last Sunday.
- Later, with the support of his wife Harriet, he established the “Northern Star and Freeman’s Advocate,” which he published until his death.
- Myers rose to prominence as a leader of the Albany anti-slavery movement, and he traveled widely over the world to advocate for freedom.
- He was an outspoken campaigner for African-American voting rights and worked with state legislators to modify the New York constitution, which forced African-Americans to pay a $250 property tax when they purchased a home.
- During the American Civil War, he assisted in the recruitment of African-American soldiers to serve in the Union Army.
- Myers died in 1870, the “Troy Daily Times” described him as follows: “Mr.
- Prior to the war, he worked as an agent for the ‘Underground Railroad’ in Albany for many years, and his home was frequently the hiding place for up to a dozen fugitive slaves at any given time.
- This is the first in a series of articles.
- February is Black History Month.
- Movies for Black History Month: 20 excellent films to watch right now on Disney+, Hulu, Prime Video, and other streaming services During Black History Month, the Abolition Hall of Fame and Museum in Peterboro will be providing free daily movies.
to Syracuse for a cabaret celebrating Black History Month. Interested parties should contact Johnathan Croyle by email at [email protected] or by phone at 315-427-3958. Please keep in mind that if you purchase something after clicking on one of our affiliate links, we may receive a fee.
New York: The Stephen and Harriet Myers Residence (U.S. National Park Service)
This award-winning Greek Revival Underground Railroad site commemorates the anti-slavery efforts of Stephen and Harriet Myers and their associates, the meetings of The Vigilance Committee, and the Freedom Seekers who came to this location to solicit aid during the American Civil War. This area is designated as the Hudson River Valley Heritage Area. The Stephen and Harriet Myers Residence served as the Vigilance Committee of Albany’s office during the mid-1850s period. It was formed by Black abolitionists in the early 1840s and continued to be active in it until the Civil War, assisting hundreds of freedom seekers in their quest for freedom throughout the northern United States and Canada.
Sydney Howard Gay’s Record of Fugitives, which is kept at Columbia University’s Rare Books and Manuscripts Collection, has the names of 50 freedom seekers who were led to Stephen Myers at 194 Livingston Avenue, which is where he currently resides.
Letters and editorials written by Stephen Myers and preserved in such sources as Black Abolitionists written by Benjamin Quarles, Black Abolitionist Papers compiled by C.
As a member of the New York State Suffrage Association and the American Council of Colored Laborers, he filed a lawsuit against the City School District of Albany, New York in an attempt to force the district to desegregate its schools, and he helped to found the Florence Farming and Lumber Association, an economic development settlement for Black families in central New York State.
When Stephen, who was born enslaved in Rensselaer County, New York in 1818 and granted his legal freedom in 1818, rose from his position as Vice Chairman of the Vigilance Committee to become the most important figure in Albany’s Underground Railroad history, he was joined by a group of other Black Albany residents in anti-slavery and civil rights campaigns.
According to Harriet Myers’ obituary, which was published in The Christian Recorder out of Philadelphia following her death in 1865, “during the many years her husband was devoted to the supervision of the underground railroad, she was kind and unremitting in her attendance on the unfortunate passengers.
Myers had published some years before, and was entrusted with the reading of the proof sheets for its columns.” Myers’ significance in the national movement was highlighted many years after emancipation by author Wilbur Siebert in his 1898 book, The Underground Railroad: A History of the Underground Railroad: A Biography of the Underground Railroad: A Biography of the Underground Railroad In his account of the Albany route, Frederick Douglass, who was familiar with it during the period of his residence in Rochester, described it as running through Philadelphia and New York, then through Albany and Rochester, and on to Canada; he also provides the name of the person at each station who, in his mind, was most closely associated with the work of the station in question.
- “Fugitives were accepted in Philadelphia by William Still, who then transported them to New York where they were cared for by Mr.
- Gibbs,” he writes.
- W.
- Catherines, Canada West, the route was completed.
The fact that what is now known as The Stephen and Harriet Myers Residence was built and owned by John Johnson, a Black boat captain and Vigilance Committee member, who was a successful enough businessman to be in a position to construct this 10 room, four story Greek Revival home in 1847 that includes medallions and gas lighting, among other cutting-edge features, should be added to this list.
In February 2021, the Stephen and Harriet Myers Residence became a member of the African American Civil Rights Network, which is a network of civil rights organizations.
Through a mix of public and private pieces, the Network explores the story of the people, places, and events that shaped the United States civil rights movement. The Network was established by the African American Civil Rights Act of 2017 and is administered by the National Park Service.
Stephen Myers, Abolitionist born
This award-winning Greek Revival Underground Railroad site commemorates the anti-slavery efforts of Stephen and Harriet Myers and their associates, the meetings of The Vigilance Committee, and the Freedom Seekers who came to this location to seek aid during the American Civil War. National Historic District of the Hudson River Valley The Vigilance Committee of Albany had its headquarters in the Stephen and Harriet Myers Residence in the mid-1850s. This organization, which was formed of Black abolitionists, was engaged in the underground railroad from the early 1840s until the Civil War, assisting hundreds of freedom seekers in their search of freedom in the northern states and Canada.
Sydney According to Howard Gay’s Record of Fugitives, which is preserved at Columbia University’s Rare Books and Manuscripts Collection, 50 fugitive freedom seekers were sent to Stephen Myers at 194 Livingston Avenue, which is where the building is now located today.
In accordance with the letters and editorials written by Stephen Myers and preserved in such sources as Black Abolitionists written by Benjamin Quarles, Black Abolitionist Papers compiled by C.
As a member of the New York State Suffrage Association and the American Council of Colored Laborers, he filed a lawsuit against the City School District of Albany, New York in an attempt to force the district to desegregate its schools, and he helped to found the Florence Farming and Lumber Association, an economic development settlement for Black families in central New York state.
When Stephen, who was born enslaved in Rensselaer County, New York in 1818 and granted his legal freedom in 1818, rose from his position as Vice Chairman of the Vigilance Committee to become the most important figure in Albany’s Underground Railroad history, he was joined by a group of other Black Albany residents in anti-slavery and civil rights efforts.
According to the obituary of Harriet Myers, which was published in The Christian Recorder out of Philadelphia following her death in 1865, “during the many years her husband was devoted to the supervision of the underground railroad, she was kind and unremitting in her attendance on the unfortunate passengers,” In addition, “.she did perform much of the editorial labors upon the ‘Northern Light’ published some years ago by Mr.Myers, and was entrusted with the reading of the proof sheets for its columns.” Myers’ significance in the national movement was highlighted many years after emancipation by author Wilbur Siebert in his 1898 book, The Underground Railroad: A History of the Underground Railroad: A Biography of the Underground Railroad: A Biography of the Underground Railroad: A Biography of the In his account of the Albany route, Frederick Douglass, who was familiar with it during the period of his residence in Rochester, described it as running through Philadelphia and New York, then through Albany and Rochester, and on to Canada; he also provides the name of the person at each station who was, in his mind, most closely associated with the work of the station.
“Fugitives were accepted in Philadelphia by William Still, who then transported them to New York where they were cared for by Mr.
Gibbs,” writes the author.
W.
Catherines, Canada West, the route was as follows: As a result, Myers is frequently mentioned in newspapers from the 1840s and 1850s as a speaker and delegate at multi-state Colored Men’s Conventions that took place far beyond the Albany area, and he frequently shared the podium with Frederick Douglass, both when Douglass spoke in Albany and when Douglass spoke in other cities.
In addition to serving as a memorial to the significant contributions made by African-Americans to the health, wealth, and development of Albany and other communities throughout the country during the antebellum period, this building serves as a reminder of the continuing fight to secure equality and justice for Black Americans as we, today, continue to oppose the civil rights injustices against which our abolitionist forefathers fought and died.
During the month of February 2021, the Stephen and Harriet Myers Residence was recognized as a member of the African American Civil Rights Network.
The Network was established by the African American Civil Rights Act of 2017 and is coordinated by the National Park Service.
Stephen Myers, Abolitionist born
An award-winning Greek Revival Underground Railroad site commemorating the anti-slavery efforts of Stephen and Harriet Myers and their associates, the meetings of The Vigilance Committee, and the Freedom Seekers who stopped here to solicit aid. This area is known as the Hudson River Valley Heritage Area. The Stephen and Harriet Myers Residence served as the Vigilance Committee of Albany’s office in the mid-1850s. It was formed by Black abolitionists in the early 1840s and continued to be active in it until the Civil War, assisting hundreds of freedom seekers in their quest for freedom in the northern United States and Canada.
- Sydney Howard Gay’s Record of Fugitives, which is kept at Columbia University’s Rare Books and Manuscripts Collection, lists 50 freedom seekers who were referred to Stephen Myers at 194 Livingston Avenue, where he is still located today.
- According to letters and editorials written by Stephen Myers and preserved in such sources as Black Abolitionists written by Benjamin Quarles, Black Abolitionist Papers compiled by C.
- He was an active member of the New York State Suffrage Association and the American Council of Colored Laborers.
- This is the man, along with his wife Harriet, who are commemorated at the Stephen and Harriet Myers Residence, which is the sole remaining structure with which they are associated.
- The Freedom Movement was actively supported by Myers for about 30 years, beginning in 1831.
Myers had published some years before, and was entrusted with the reading of the proof sheets for its columns.” Myers’ significance in the national movement was highlighted many years after emancipation by author Wilbur Siebert in his 1898 book, The Underground Railroad: A History of the Underground Railroad: A Biography of the Underground Railroad.
As an example, he writes that the “fugitives were greeted in Philadelphia by William Still, who then transported them to New York, where they were cared for by Mr.
Gibbs.” from Stephen Myers in Albany, via J.
Logan in Syracuse, Frederick Douglass in Rochester, and finally Hiram Wilson in St.
Added to these considerations is the fact that what is now known as The Stephen and Harriet Myers Residence was built and owned by John Johnson, a Black boat captain and Vigilance Committee member who was a savvy and successful businessman who was able to construct in 1847 this ten-room, four-story Greek Revival home that includes medallions, gas lighting, and other cutting-edge features.
It also serves as a symbol of the ongoing struggle to ensure equity and justice for African-Americans as we, today, continue to oppose the civil rights injustices against which our abolitionist forefathers fought.
The African American Civil Rights Network honors the civil rights movement in the United States and the sacrifices made by individuals who battled against discrimination and segregation.
Through a mix of public and private assets, the Network explores the stories of the people, places, and events that shaped the United States civil rights movement. The Network was established by the African American Civil Rights Act of 2017 and administered by the National Park Service.
Myers Residence History
An award-winning Greek Revival Underground Railroad site commemorating the anti-slavery efforts of Stephen and Harriet Myers and their associates, the meetings of The Vigilance Committee, and the Freedom Seekers who came to this location to seek aid. Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area The Stephen and Harriet Myers Residence served as the Vigilance Committee of Albany’s office during the mid-1850s. This organization of Black abolitionists was engaged in the underground railroad from the early 1840s to the Civil War, assisting hundreds of freedom seekers in their search of freedom in the northern United States and Canada.
- Sydney Howard Gay’s Record of Fugitives, which is kept at Columbia University’s Rare Books and Manuscripts Collection, contains the names of 50 freedom seekers who were referred to Stephen Myers at 194 Livingston Avenue, where he is still located today.
- According to letters and editorials written by Stephen Myers and preserved in such sources as Black Abolitionists written by Benjamin Quarles, Black Abolitionist Papers compiled by C.
- He was an active member of the New York State Suffrage Association and the American Council of Colored Laborers, and he sued the City School District of Albany, New York, in an attempt to force the district to desegregate.
- This is the man, along with his wife Harriet, who are commemorated at the Stephen and Harriet Myers Residence, which is the sole remaining structure with which they had a connection.
- Myers was actively involved in assisting freedom seekers for about 30 years, beginning in 1831.
- As an example, he writes that the “fugitives were greeted in Philadelphia by William Still, who then sent them to New York, where they were cared for by Mr.
- Gibbs.” Thence to Stephen Myers in Albany; then to J.
- Logan in Syracuse; then to Frederick Douglass in Rochester; and finally to Hiram Wilson in St.
In addition, Myers is frequently cited in newspapers from the 1840s and 1850s as a speaker and representative at multi-state Colored Men’s Conventions that took place far beyond the Albany area, and he frequently shared the podium with Frederick Douglass, both when Douglass spoke in Albany and when Douglass spoke in other locations.
It is a tribute to the significant contributions of African-Americans to the health, wealth, and development of Albany and other communities throughout the country during the antebellum period, as well as a symbol of the ongoing struggle to ensure equity and justice for Black Americans as we, today, continue to oppose the civil rights injustices against which our abolitionist forefathers fought.
The African American Civil Rights Network honors the civil rights movement in the United States, as well as the sacrifices made by individuals who battled against discrimination and segregation.
The Network, which was established by the African American Civil Rights Act of 2017 and is administered by the National Park Service, conveys the narrative of the people, places, and events of the United States civil rights movement through a combination of public and private elements.
RESTORATION HISTORY
The Myers Residence restoration project’s first phase was put out to bid in the fall of 2007 and was completed in the spring of 2008. The construction process began in 2008. It was completed in the fall of 2015 that the exterior repair was completed. From the back doorway, a stairway has been repaired, and a lift with a brick walkway has been erected, which will be operational by March 2020. Completed exterior restoration work is still pending on the first floor and basement entrances, which are the final two components of the overall project.
The Historic Structure Report can be downloaded.
THERE IS MUCH WORK STILL TO BE DONE
Ultimately, we hope to restore The Myers Residence to the condition of elegance that it had at the time when Stephen and Harriet Myers resided there, when the Vigilance Committee convened there, and when freedom seekers found safety there. To date, more than $950,000 has been raised toward the project’s $1,500,000 fundraising target. Your contribution to the Underground Railroad Education Center will assist us in restoring the Myers Residence to its former splendor.
Stephen and Harriet Myers Residence
Ultimately, we hope to restore The Myers Residence to the condition of elegance that it had at the time when Stephen and Harriet Myers resided there, when the Vigilance Committee convened there, and when freedom seekers took sanctuary there. Since the beginning of the year, more than $950,000 has been raised toward a total target of $1,500,000 for the project. Thanks for considering making a donation to the Underground Railroad Education Center. Your contribution will assist us with restoring the Myers Residence.
Stephen & Harriet Myers, station agents for Albany’s portion of the Underground Railroad
Stephen Myers, an abolitionist who lived in Albany for a while, and the house where portions of his narrative took place. In recognition of Black History Month, we’ll be featuring people and stories from the Capital Region on Fridays throughout February. Because we reside in a historical region of the country, history is a natural aspect of the environment. On our way to the grocery store, we pass historical markers, and on our way to the bank, we see monuments. Even though many people no longer remember who they were or what they did to earn the distinction, historic personalities continue to live on through the names of streets, cities, and public structures.
- It’s likely that you’ve passed by their old residence on Livingston Avenue or the Albany middle school that bears their names, perhaps without giving them a second thought.
- 198 Lumber Street, according to Paul Stewart, co-founder of The Underground History Project in Albany, which is seeking to rebuild one of the Myers’s previous properties on Livingston Avenue (originally 198 Lumber Street).
- It was in the early 1830s, he points out, that they began their efforts, and that in just a few years in the final few years of the 1850s alone, as many as 600 persons were recognized.
- Jonathan Eights was a physician in Albany, and Stephen Myers was born into slavery in Rensselaer County in the home of Dr.
- After being released at the age of 18, he did a variety of occupations around the region, including butler, waiter, steward, and janitor, from Lake George all the way down to New York City.
- Harriet and Stephen Myers began their work on the Underground Railroad in the company of one another.
- The abolitionist leader Frederick Douglass also praised Stephen Myers for his achievements.
These jobs were low-level service jobs.
“His success was largely due to his location in Albany,” says Paul Stewart.
After moving to Albany, he worked at several hotels, including the Delavan House, which was an anti-slavery establishment that attracted many abolitionists to visit.
The Myers also created a number of publications, according to Stewart, which provided them with access to a diverse range of individuals and assisted them in maintaining relationships.
“A disproportionately large number of individuals were more literate than we would like to believe, and one of the pleasures that people took advantage of was reading aloud to their friends.
Eventually, he became associated with colored men’s conventions groups, which were intellectual organizations dedicated to furthering the cause of African Americans, according to Stewart.
Later in life, he rose to the position of president of the New York State Suffrage Association.
Myers thought that the advancement of African Americans could be achieved via education and suffrage for everyone.
It was intended to be “a location for people to settle, buy farms, and create a life for themselves,” according to community leader Paul Stewart.
“There were a lot of folks who were afraid of the law,” Stewart adds.
With this law, what could have been an economic triumph was rendered ineffective.” Harriet Myers died in 1865, just a few months after the Union army had won the American Civil War.
“According to historian Paul Stewart, “when you think of a janitor, you automatically think of someone in a poor position.” However, when you think about it, the janitor is actually a highly powerful person in some ways.
They are well-versed in the operation of everything.” Stephen Myers passed away in Albany, New York, in 1870.
The Underground Railroad History Project’s founders, Paul and Mary Liz Stewart, will speak about the Stephen and Harriet Myers House and the Underground Railroad during their presentation.
The Albany Roundtable will host a luncheon on February 11th. Tickets are available for purchase for $20. The Underground Railroad History Project provided the photographs used in this article.
NCUGRHA – People & Places
Reverend Charles B. Ray was one of the most influential agents in New York City at the time. Rev. Charles Bennett is a minister in the Episcopal Church. Ray The following is Ray’s explanation of how the UGRR operated between New York City and other destinations: There were regular lines on this route all the way from Washington; between Washington and Baltimore, there was a type of branch road. It had depots in Philadelphia, New York, Albany, Troy, Utica, Syracuse, Oswego, and Niagara Falls, as well as other locations.
- We also periodically dumped a few on Long Island when we felt it was safe to do so.
- Occasionally, we’d have a group of twenty-eight people come in, ranging in age from the elderly grandma to a young youngster of five years or so old.
- I was able to get a passage for them on a barge, and Mr.
- After that, I boarded the usual passenger boat at the foot of Cortlandt Street and began my journey.
- We were successful in making up the difference between what they raised in Albany and what I had in my hands, allowing us to send them all the way to safety from here.
- Wright” was most likely the Rev.
- The Rev.
Henry Highland Garnet is a member of the Highland Garnet Society.
Garnet, speaking at the National Colored Convention in Buffalo in September 1843, called for slaves to rise out against their owners, saying: “Brothers and sisters, rise and shine!
The time has come and the hour has come.
It is preferable to die as free men than to live as slaves.
The delegates voted to reject Garnet’s call for revolt by a single vote.
He had recently been amputee and had only one leg, so he had to crawl home, more eager than ever to fight for the freedom of his people.
During the 1850s, Sydney Howard Gay dispatched a large number of fugitives to Albany.
S.H.
He collaborated with another black guy, Louis Napoleon, on a number of projects.
Some of them were transported to Albany by Napoleon.
Thomas Garrett of Wilmington, Delaware had sent him a large number of the persons who had been transported to New York by the Still organization.
Thomas Garrett, the legendary Quaker abolitionist, assisted almost 3,000 persons during his time with the Underground Railroad.
In exchange for her money, he provided her with enough to purchase shoes for fugitives and to employ teamsters to convey them in carts.
During the 1858 capture of Virginia runaway slave Charles Nall by the United States Marshals Service, Harriet Tubman happened to be there in Troy, New York.
New York City became known as “the receiving depot” because of the ever-increasing number of escaped slaves who were brought to the city by William Still and other members of the Philadelphia Vigilance Committee. Troy and Albany were the next two sites on the itinerary.
Albany
Albany served as a significant receiving and forwarding post for fugitive slaves who were transported north from New York City via the Hudson River and the Hudson River Valley to the city of Albany. As of 1849, the Vigilance Committee in New York City had provided assistance to more than 2,000 persons. Some runaways who landed in New York City were transported to New England, but most were forwarded to Albany, where Stephen Myers served as Superintendent of the United States Government Reconnaissance Bureau for many years.
There were hundreds of people waiting for Stephen Myers and his wife, Harriet, as well as the other members of the Albany Vigilance Committee.
There were approximately 150 men, 150 women, and 50 children among the fugitives.
The majority of these fugitives have fled to Canada, and a total of $500 has been spent on their board, travel, and other expenditures.
As he stated in 1842: ‘We aided two slaves who were dispatched to our office by William Garner of Elizabethtown; we gave them with money so that they may travel to Canada by means of Lake Champlain.’ While working as a steward on the steamboat Armenia, which ran between New York City and Albany, it is possible that Myers helped runaways in their escape.
- Abolitionist lawyer William Jay received a letter from Harriet Myers in August 1860 informing him that two fugitives from Westchester who had been dispatched to her husband had come with the money he had given them, which was sufficient to get them to Canada.
- Harriet had to look after kids because her husband was working as a butler in Lake George at the time of their birth.
- Meyers reported to William Jay in December that he had received more fugitives in the prior eight weeks than he had received in any four-month period in the previous four years.
- They arrange an annual UGRR conference, lead walking tours, and are now working on rehabilitating Stephen and Harriet Myers’ former house in the historic district of New York City.
- ‘Resistance’ should be your motto, Earl Ofari (Boston: Beacon Press, 1972).
- John Jay is a fictional character created by writer John Jay Baldacci in the 1960s.
- Rise Now and Fly to Arms: the Life of Henry Highland Garnet, by Martin Burt Pasternak, is out now.
- from the University of Massachusetts in 1981.
- “Runaway Slaves” is a term used to describe slaves who have escaped their masters.
- Emancipator and Free American, May 4, 1843.
- Tom Calarco provided the photo of the Armenia, a replica of the Hudson River riverboat.
On December 17, 1860, Stephen Myers wrote a letter to William Jay II. It was built on the site of the John Jay Homestead State Historic Site in Katonah, New York. “Open to the General Public.” The Northern Star and Freemen’s Advocate published an article on December 8, 1842.
Stephen and Harriet Myers Residence
For escaped slaves being transported north from New York City via the Hudson River and across the Hudson River Valley, Albany served as a significant reception and forwarding station. 2,000 persons had received assistance from the New York City Vigilance Committee by 1849. Although some of the runaways who arrived in New York City were taken to New England, the vast majority were forwarded to Albany, where Stephen Myers served as Superintendent of the United Grandfathered Railroad for several years.
- Stephen Myers, his wife, Harriet, and other members of the Albany Vigilance Committee were greeted by a large number of individuals.
- Approximately 350 fleeing slaves had been added since the opening of navigation last Spring, according to the Vigilance Committee of the Abolitionists in Albany’s annual report for the previous year.
- The vast majority of them came from Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia, with approximately or quite a few hundred from Washington and Georgetown as well.
- Although Stephen Myers moved the most majority of the freedom seekers who sought refuge with him to Syracuse or Oswego, he did so on occasion by sending them directly north.
- Hudson River riverboat Armenia, which first went into service on the Hudson River in 1848, is being recreated on the Hudson River.
- There were eight others who had come that month who had no money with them.
- Mr.
- The Underground Railroad History Project of the Capital Region, Inc., is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving Albany’s rich UGRR heritage.
Sources:Armenia “An American Time Capsule, Three Centuries of Broadsides and Other Printed Ephemera,” Rare Books and Special Collections Divisions of the Library of Congress, Rare Books and Special Collections Divisions of the Library of Congress Keep the word “resistance” in your vocabulary, Earl Ofari (Boston: Beacon Press, 1972).
- Jay, or John Jay, is a fictional character created by American author John Jay Weir in the early 1900s.
- Rise Now and Fly to Arms: the Life of Henry Highland Garnet, by Martin Burt Pasternak, is available on Amazon.
- D.
- “Runaway Slaves” is a term used to describe slaves who have gotten away from their master.
- Special Call,” Emancipator and Free American, May 4, 1843.
- Tom Calarco provided the photo of the Armenia, a replica of the Hudson River steamship.
December 17, 1860, letter from Stephen Myers to William Jay II. In Katonah, New York’s John Jay Homestead State Historic Site, This message is intended for general distribution. 8th of December, 1842, in the Northern Star and Freemen’s Advocate.
The Stephen and Harriet Myers Residence
The Stephen and Harriet Myers Residence, as a recorded Underground Railroad location, serves as a testament to the efforts of African American abolitionists and their sympathizers in the battle for equal rights for all Americans, as guaranteed in the nation’s founding document, the Constitution. This historic site offers programs that encourage visitors to research this history from the perspectives of individuals whose voices have not been included in the usual recounting of Underground Railroad history, as well as to consider the link between this past and our current lives.
- every day of the year Sites or experiences that are similar Cherry Hill is a historic neighborhood.
- Crailo Historic Site is located in Crailo, Ireland.
- The Underground Railroad History Project of the Capital Region, Inc.
- It is controlled by a diverse Board of Directors, who work in collaboration with an Executive Director and a large number of volunteers who help to support and enhance the organization, its programming, and The Stephen and Harriet Myers Residence, as well as the surrounding community.
- The Stephen and Harriet Myers Residence was a focal point of anti-slavery movement in the Capital Region, serving as a safe haven for persons who had escaped slavery and as a meeting place for the Vigilance Committee.
- Both Stephen and Harriet were active participants in the Underground Railroad effort across the Capital Region.
- Stephen Myers, who was born into slavery, was well aware of the realities of the institution of slavery when he was a child.
- These efforts, as well as those of his wife Harriet, are brought to life through programs offered at this historic site.
There are feesyesADA accessibility is availableno Tours Are AvailableYes, tours are available. Yes, the site is suitable for children. Pets are not permitted on the premises.
Location
Latitude:42.661177 Longitude:-73.754582 The elevation is 195 feet.
Nearby Sites or Experiences
When describing a network of meeting spots, hidden routes, passages, and safehouses used by slaves in the United States to escape slave-holding states and seek refuge in northern states and Canada, the Underground Railroad was referred to as the Underground Railroad (UR). The underground railroad, which was established in the early 1800s and sponsored by persons active in the Abolitionist Movement, assisted thousands of slaves in their attempts to escape bondage. Between 1810 and 1850, it is estimated that 100,000 slaves escaped from bondage in the southern United States.
Facts, information and articles about the Underground Railroad
Aproximate year of birth: 1780
Ended
The beginnings of the American Civil War occurred around the year 1862.
Slaves Freed
Estimates range between 6,000 and 10,000.
Prominent Figures
Harriet Tubman is a historical figure. William Still is a well-known author and poet. Levi Coffin is a fictional character created by author Levi Coffin. John Fairfield is a well-known author.
Related Reading:
The Story of How Canada Became the Final Station on the Underground Railroad Harriet Tubman’s Legacy as a Freedom Fighter and a Spion is well documented.
The Beginnings Of the Underground Railroad
Even before the nineteenth century, it appears that a mechanism to assist runaways existed. In 1786, George Washington expressed dissatisfaction with the assistance provided to one of his escaped slaves by “a organization of Quakers, founded for such purposes.” The Religious Society of Friends, or Quakers as they are more officially known, were among the first abolitionist organizations to emerge. Their influence may have played a role in Pennsylvania becoming the first state to abolish slavery, which was home to a large number of Quakers.
In recognition of his contributions, Levi is often referred to as the “president of the Underground Railroad.” In Fountain City, Ohio, on Ohio’s western border, the eight-room Indiana home they bought and used as a “station” before they came to Cincinnati has been preserved and is now a National Historic Landmark.
The Underground Railroad Gets Its Name
Owen Brown, the father of radical abolitionist John Brown, was a member of the Underground Railroad in the state of New York during the Civil War. An unconfirmed narrative suggests that “Mammy Sally” designated the house where Abraham Lincoln’s future wife, Mary Todd Lincoln, grew up and served as a safe house where fugitives could receive food, but the account is doubtful. Routes of the Underground Railroad It was not until the early 1830s that the phrase “Underground Railroad” was first used.
Fugitives going by water or on genuine trains were occasionally provided with clothing so that they wouldn’t give themselves away by wearing their worn-out job attire.
Many of them continued on to Canada, where they could not be lawfully reclaimed by their rightful owners.
The slave or slaves were forced to flee from their masters, which was frequently done at night. It was imperative that the runaways maintain their eyes on the North Star at all times; only by keeping that star in front of them could they be certain that they were on their trip north.
Conductors On The Railroad
A “conductor,” who pretended to be a slave, would sometimes accompany fugitives to a plantation in order to lead them on their journey. Harriet Tubman, a former slave who traveled to slave states 19 times and liberated more than 300 people, is one of the most well-known “conductors.” She used her shotgun to threaten death to any captives who lost heart and sought to return to slavery. The Underground Railroad’s operators faced their own set of risks as well. If someone living in the North was convicted of assisting fugitives in their escape, he or she could face fines of hundreds or even thousands of dollars, which was a significant sum at the time; however, in areas where abolitionism was strong, the “secret” railroad was openly operated, and no one was arrested.
His position as the most significant commander of the Underground Railroad in and around Albany grew as time went on.
However, in previous times of American history, the phrase “vigilance committee” generally refers to citizen organizations that took the law into their own hands, prosecuting and hanging those suspected of crimes when there was no local government or when they considered the local authority was corrupt or weak.
White males who were found assisting slaves in their escape were subjected to heavier punishments than white women, but both were likely to face at the very least incarceration.
The Civil War On The Horizon
A “conductor,” who pretended to be a slave, would sometimes accompany fugitives to a plantation in order to direct them on their journey. Harriet Tubman, a former slave who traveled to slave states 19 times and liberated more than 300 people, is one of the most well-known “conductors.” She used her shotgun to threaten the lives of those who lost hope and sought to return to slavery. The Underground Railroad’s operators faced their own set of perils while they worked. In the North, if someone was convicted of assisting fugitives in their escape, he or she could face fines of hundreds or even thousands of dollars, which was a significant sum at the time; however, in areas where abolitionism was strong, the “secret” railroad operated in full view of the general public.
His position as the most prominent commander of the Underground Railroad in and around Albany grew as time went along.
However, in other eras of American history, the term “vigilance committee” was frequently used to refer to citizen groups that took the law into their own hands, prosecuting and lynching people accused of crimes when no local authority existed or when they believed that authority was corrupt or insufficient.
Stricter punishments were meted out to white males who assisted slaves in escaping than to white women, but both were likely to face at the very least incarceration.
The most severe punishments, such as hundreds of lashing with a whip, burning, or hanging, were reserved for any blacks who were discovered in the process of assisting fugitive fugitives on the run.
The Reverse Underground Railroad
A “reverse Underground Railroad” arose in the northern states surrounding the Ohio River during the Civil War. The black men and women of those states, whether or not they had previously been slaves, were occasionally kidnapped and concealed in homes, barns, and other structures until they could be transported to the South and sold as slaves.