The National Park Service this week announced the newly designated National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom members, including the St. Stephen’s A.M.E. Cemetery in Talbot County.
The new listings have verified connections to the Underground Railroad and provide insight into the experiences of freedom seekers who bravely escaped slavery and those who assisted them.
All three Network to Freedom sites were researched as part of the Maryland Department of Commerce Office of Tourism’s “Four Fellowships for 400: Sharing Maryland’s Underground Railroad Stories” project. The project partnered with the Legacy of Slavery program at the Maryland State Archives and was funded by a grant from the 400 Years of African American History Commission. Last fall, four Maryland sites were added to the collection and with the additional three sites, Maryland now has 95 total designated Network to Freedom sites across the state.
“The successful partnerships between federal, state, and local agencies has allowed this important research to showcase these documented Maryland Underground Railroad stories,” said Governor Larry Hogan. “The historical uncoverings at these new sites further signify Maryland as the most powerful Underground Railroad storytelling destination in the world.”
The newly designated Maryland Underground Railroad Network to Freedom sites include:
- Jails at Port Tobacco Courthouse Site
- Mass Escape at Mackall Plantation at St. Mary’s College of Maryland
- St. Stephen’s A.M.E. Cemetery at Unionville
“Every freedom seeker’s story is unique and powerful, and these new Network to Freedom Sites highlight three very different aspects of the Underground Railroad,” says National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Program Manager Diane Miller. “We are eager to continue to work alongside site stewards to preserve and amplify this important history.”
Visitors and residents can utilize Maryland’s Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Visitor Guide, along with other interpretive materials, to develop an itinerary across Maryland to explore the Underground Railroad and the 95 National Park Service National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom sites in the state. To plan your journey along the Underground Railroad and learn more, go to visitmaryland.org.
Maureen Curry says
Very exciting news! Well done, Maryland Office of Tourism!