PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND
The phenomenon known as the Underground Railroad involved both a deep personal commitment
(sometimes resulting in the loss of one's own life) and defiance of certain laws in the name of a higher
moral imperative. The Underground Railroad was neither "underground" nor a "railroad." Usually scholars
describe it as a loosely constructed network of routes that originated in the South, intertwined throughout
the North, and eventually ended in Canada. Escape routes, however, were not restricted to the North,
but also extended into western territories, Mexico, and the Caribbean. Its operations relied heavily on
secret codes as railroad jargon alerted "passengers" when travel was safe. Runaways usually commuted
either alone or in small groups, and were occasionally assisted by Black and White "conductors" who
risked their lives to escort runaways to freedom. By definition, this activity was clandestine so information
about sites and routes was kept secret or not widely distributed. After slavery was abolished, the story
of the Underground Railroad was kept alive by oral tradition and written works, including personal
accounts and historic documentations. Although the history of the Underground Railroad has been
described in several publications, information about the current condition of sites and structures has been
limited. Many of these sites and structures, especially in urban areas, have been demolished or
substantially changed to make way for development.Various historians and organizations worked diligently to keep the memory of the Underground Railroad experience alive þ for example, William Still in his book The Underground Railroad (1872), and William H. Siebert's publications and collections in the 1820s. A contemporary effort by Charles L. Blockson resulted in the establishment of the Charles L. Blockson Collection at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Mr. Blockson's collection is a primary resource for documents and files on the Underground Railroad collected over three decades. Rep. Peter Kostmayer (Pennsylvania) introduced the concept of tracing the Underground Railroad, and asked Mr. Blockson if the project was a feasible one. Mr. Blockson told the Congressman that based on his research he thought it was. In 1990, legislation was introduced in Congress by Representative Kostmayer (H.R. 3863) and Senator Paul Simon (S.B. 2809) to study options for commemorating the Underground Railroad. With the active support of delegations from several states, Congress enacted Public Law 101-628 on November 28, 1990, which directed the secretary of the interior through the National Park Service to conduct a study of alternatives for commemorating and interpreting the Underground Railroad (see appendix A). As called for in the legislation, the study will:
- consider the establishment of a new unit of the national park system The legislation also directed the secretary through the National Park Service to prepare and publish an interpretive handbook on the Underground Railroad in the larger context of American antebellum society, including the history of slavery and abolitionism. An Underground Railroad Advisory Committee would be established to meet and consult with the National Park Service on matters relating to the study of alternatives. Ms. Vivian Abdur-Rahim, Executive Director of the Harriet Tubman Historical Society in Wilmington, Delaware, and who later was appointed as a member of the Underground Railroad Advisory Committee, expressed her support for the Underground Railroad project by attending hearings in May 1991, which were held by the House Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Upon congressional funding for the Underground Railroad project, the National Park Service in 1992 began data collection. The process included contacting state historic preservation offices, historical organizations, and knowledgeable scholars and individuals to collect information on Underground Railroad sites and routes. This was broadened to the general public through a brochure, Taking the Train to Freedom, which provided an overview of the project (see appendix B for copy of brochure). Included with the brochure was a comment sheet for people to list sites, museums, and other activities associated with the Underground Railroad story. More than 12,000 brochures were distributed to organizations and individuals. To help get the Underground Railroad study underway, the National Park Service conducted a workshop in Kansas City, Missouri, on October 4 - 5, 1992, in conjunction with the annual meeting of the Association for the Study of Afro-American Life and History. Participants in the workshop brought expertise in the Underground Railroad or in related aspects of African American history (see appendix C for list of participants). The workshop addressed issues concerning the study's scope, data sources, work already in progress, applicable criteria, possible role of the National Park Service and other agencies and institutions, and preservation of sites. The key findings of the workshop were as follows:
-The Underground Railroad story includes the history of the institution of slavery and resistance to slavery. Following the workshop in October 1992, the secretary of the interior completed the selection process for the Underground Railroad Advisory Committee as specified in the legislation. The appointees and their particular area of expertise follow.
Three members to be appointed who shall have expertise in African American History: Dr. Thomas Battle Dr. John Fleming Dr. Ancella Bickley Two members to be appointed who shall have expertise in historic preservation: Mr. Charles L. Blockson Ms. Barbara A. Hudson One member to be appointed who shall have expertise in American History: Dr. Robin Winks Three members to be appointed who shall be from the general public: Ms. Vivian Abdur-Rahim Ms. Rose Powhatan (Pamunkey) Ms. Glennette Turner
The first meeting of the Underground Railroad Advisory Committee was held in March 1993 in Philadelphia, at which Charles Blockson was chosen to chair the committee, Ms. Barbara Hudson was elected vice chair, and Ms. Rose Powhatan was elected secretary. In concert with the first meeting of the committee, a newsletter was developed and distributed by the National Park Service. Subsequent Underground Railroad Advisory Committee meetings were held in Buffalo, New York, in July 1993; in Baltimore, Maryland, in October 1993; in Washington, D.C. in August 1994; and in Philadelphia in August 1995. In addition, a committee work session was held in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, in June 1993. During these meetings, the committee assisted in developing concepts to commemorate, interpret, and preserve the Underground Railroad story along with sites and structures associated with this story. The committee further provided direction and comment on the development of newsletters, public involvement strategies, interpretive themes, the interpretive handbook, and the national historic landmark study. It was at the Philadelphia meeting in 1995 that the committee adopted the Underground Railroad logo created by Philadelphia's own artist Phil Sumpter. In this special resource study, five alternative concepts for commemorating and interpreting the Underground Railroad are outlined in detail. These concepts were presented to the public in a newsletter, and public comments on those concepts are summarized in this document (see the "Consultation and Coordination" section). A no-action concept has since been added for comparison purposes. An "Environmental Assessment" chapter explaining the potential impacts of implementing the concepts follows the concept descriptions. Following review by the Underground Railroad Advisory Committee and the National Park Service, the study document will be transmitted to Congress through the secretary of the interior. Besides providing a report to Congress, the study is intended to:
-provide an accurate description of the Underground Railroad story Although alternatives such as creation of a new unit of the national park system or a special program of technical and financial assistance will require action by Congress, many ideas in this study can be pursued and implemented as time and funding permits by federal, state, and, local governments and the private sector without any special authorization by Congress. For example, a private foundation either alone or in combination with other entities could create a national commemorative and research center. In addition, some resources could be developed as part of a joint partnership between federal and other entities. These projects could use a variety of methods to accomplish mutually agreed-upon goals, with the federal participant assuming some tasks and other government and nongovernmental organizations assuming other tasks. This mutual support would increase the effectiveness of each entity's programs.
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