The Underground Railroad, a long network of routes that enslaved people once used to escape north, is one of the most important features of American history. But it’s one thing to know that the railroad existed and it’s another entirely to see exactly where it was located and which towns served an important role in their upkeep.
An effort led by the president of the Underground Railroad Consortium of New York State is hoping to pass a bill by 2026 that would authorize an Underground Railroad corridor starting in NYC that would continue for 500 miles before ending at Niagara Falls.
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The specific route they’re trying to recognize is one that abolitionist Harriet Tubman used heavily while she made trips back and forth to bring friends and family members north.
Tubman was born into slavery in Maryland in 1822 and dedicated her life to helping others escape. In her lifetime, she led approximately 70 enslaved people to freedom, per the National Women’s History Museum.
In New York City, Tubman worked with other abolitionists and organizations that helped her organize the trips between the north and south, and NYC would mark the start of the proposed corridor. The city has long recognized the abolitionist’s impact, and you can check out a monument to Harriet Tubman in Harlem at an intersection dubbed the Harriet Tubman Triangle in Harlem—but this one take the ode to the figure further.
The proposed Underground Railroad corridor would end near the Canadian border, where many Black Americans ended up while trying to escape to our northern neighbor, where slavery was abolished much earlier than it was in the U.S. Tubman herself died in Auburn, New York, located in the Finger Lakes region.
“I think it’s great to have this corridor, this sponsored corridor, to tell all the stories that maybe people haven’t heard before, or just make it more well known to not just everyone in New York state, but other visitors,” said Deanna Stanford Walz, Harriet Tubman’s relative, in an official statement.
Part of the corridor’s purpose would be to increase tourism throughout the state and teach visitors about the area’s role in the history of the civil rights movement in the U.S. It would also connect different towns and regions that were relevant to the Underground Railroad’s history to create a more cohesive and powerful narrative.
The entire project is based off the Tubman Byway in Maryland, which, according to the Dorchester County Tourism Department, contributed $20 million to the local economy in 2021.
Turns out that recognizing New York’s abolitionist history may actually be good for business.
