The Underground Railroad on Long Island: Friends in Freedom (American Heritage)

Discover Long Island's pivotal role in the Underground Railroad and the stories of the brave men and women whose legacy lives on today.

From the arrival of the Quakers in the seventeenth century to the enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation, Long Island played an important role in the Underground Railroad's work to guide slaves to freedom. In Old Westbury, the Post family established a major stop on the freedom trail with the help of an escaped Virginia slave. In Jericho, families helped escaping slaves to freedom from the present-day Maine Maid Inn. Elias Hicks helped free 191 slaves himself and worked to create Underground Railroad safe houses in many northeastern cities. Some former slaves even established permanent communities across the island. Visit the safe houses--many of which are still standing today--and explore the journey of runaway slaves on Long Island.

Kate Velsor is Director of the Underground Railroad Teaching Partnership, making presentations to schools, museums, historical societies and community groups. She is a member of the Oyster Bay Historical Society and the Queens Historical Society and is on the educational committee for the Society for the Preservation of Long Island Antiquities.