Historically, the Capital-Saratoga region of New York State, was either a final stop or a temporary resting site on the road to Canada...freedom, for thousands of courageous escaping runaways. Runaways who were helped along the way by a clandestine network of brave black and white people working together to free runaway slaves through an Underground Railroad.

This "Underground Railroad" network had conductors, stations and transfer points that shepherded the runaway slaves to freedom. Harboring them in stations, from stately houses with secret rooms, to log cabins, barns and many churches. Reportedly, the "Underground Railroad" got its name in the 1830's when a Kentucky slaveholder lost sight of a slave escaping across the Ohio River. Unable to track him down on the other side, the owner concluded that the slave must have disappeared on an Underground Road.

Trains were just becoming popular, so the term "Road" used by the slaveholders soon became the "Underground Railroad." Runaways from New York City were hidden by Mr. David Ruggles, on to Mr. Stephen Myers in Albany, to Mr. J.W. Loguen in Syracuse and then onto Frederick Douglas, a safe haven in Rochester for Canada.

In the 1970's, Mr. Charles B. Swain, an Athens, New York resident, became the first folk Black historian for Greene County. He began recording the stories, legends and memories of Black people in the Hudson Valley region of New York State. Among the many Black historical facts discovered by Mr. Swain, were that Sojourner Truth was born in Hurley, near Kingston, and the house is now a historical site. Booker T. Washington spent some time in the vicinity of Rhinebeck and Red Hook, New York.

There were several slave markets in the area of the Hudson Valley. Slave ships were docked at Pougkeepsie, New York, and the slaves were taken to Katherine Street, where a slave market was located. Another slave market was housed on the docks at the lower end of Kingston Avenue. In Athens, another slave market was located in front of the old Lutheran Church on Washington Avenue. There is a burial ground of Blacks from the 1800's located in Athens, on Route 9W (formerly Kingshighway, and part of the Underground Railroad route).

Free Blacks and runaways, from Albany and Greene Counties, were recruited to join the Union Army to fight in the Civil War. Frederick Douglas recruited free Blacks from other Eastern States, including New York State, and formed the 54th Massachusetts, the 55th Massachusetts regiments and other Black military units. Stephen Meyers, a Black abolitionist from Albany and other local Blacks recruited Black men for the Union Army. They did this because they wanted Blacks in the Union Army to represent New York State. But, New York State was not accepting Blacks, so the Blacks then joined the 54th Massachusetts regiment.

In Albany County there was the annual Pinkster Festival which was celebrated by slaves. Pinkster was originally a holiday celebrated by the Dutch and was adopted by the slaves. The festival, located on State Street in Albany, where the Capitol building now stands, continued until 1811 when a law was passed stopping the festival, due to White's fear of possible Black's insurrection. There were many churches formed by Blacks in Albany County, The First Baptist Church around 1820, the Israel African Methodist Episcopal Church in 1815, Wesleyan African Methodist Church in 1851 and the African Methodist Episcopal Church in 1828, which became part of the Underground Railroad. Black churches and local White abolitionists throughout the North were a vital force in the Underground Railroad.

Blacks also established a variety of service organizations, benevolent societies and men lodges. One of the earliest was the Female Lundy Society in 1833, the Charles Summer Benevolent Association in 1875 and the Burden Coutts Benevolent Association in 1887. The Odd Fellows, named the Philornatheab Lodge, was established in Albany in 1844 and in 1860 the Jephthah Lodge No.13, F. & E.M. was chartered by the state's Black "Grand Lodge." The Odd Fellows and the Masons formed national Black organizations prior to the Civil War and promoted the formation of local lodges. The first school in Albany for the education of Blacks, was founded in 1714 by the Anglican Church. The Lancaster School, a educational institution for blacks was founded in 1812 and named for Quaker Joseph Lancaster who created the system of self help for teaching Black children. In 1851 and 1855, a statewide convention of "Coloured Citizens" was held in Albany. In 1854 the cities of Troy and Schenectady held the convention. Speakers were sent from the conventions to provide lectures on slavery and Blacks voting rights. Stephen Meyers, appointed by the convention, lectured in the counties of Albany, Columbia, Dutchess, Greene, Orange, Putman, Rockland, Rensselaer and Westchester. The Northern Star and Freedom's Advocate, both established in 1831, were Albany's first newspapers for the Black community, reported on the Black conventions and the affairs that effected the black community."God Save the Union", Unknown Printer

The "Fugitive Slave Law of 1850" in 1860 caused a riot in Troy, at the comer of First and State Streets, incited by Harriet Tubman for the rescue of the recaptured runaway, Charles Nalle, arrested under the "Fugitive Slave Act." Mr. Nalle escaped through the Underground Railroad. Also, in Troy that popularized the American symbol of "Uncle Sam." Mr. Sam Wilson, a Black male who worked as a meat packer in Troy, who died in 1854 and is buried in Troy's Oakwood Cemetery, inspired the recruiting poster "I Want You" with the American symbol of Uncle Sam. Mr. Wilson acquired his nickname from soldiers who knew him, saw the "U.S." for United States stamped on his meat cases and joked that it stood for Uncle Sam.

Currently, the National Park Service has listed officially five (5) Underground Railroad sites in New York State where escaped runaways could hide on their way to freedom. Of the listed five (5) sites only one, Foster Memorial A.M.E. Zion Church in Tarrytown, is in the Hudson Valley.

But the Captial-Saratoga and Hudson Valley regions is rich in history, with so many runaways seeking freedom passing through this area, the Revolutionary and Civil Wars, that there are many more historical sites to be discovered in this noted regions of New York State. Harriet Tubman was a frequent visitor to the region and a member of the A.M.E. Zion Church located on the Main Street in Peekskill, as a conductor for the Underground Railroad. As well as Reverend Henry Ward Beecher, a abolitionist with a summer home in Peekskill and brother of Harriet Beecher Stowe who wrote Uncle Tom's Cabin.

New York State was one of the first states to completely abolish slavery with the passage of 1799 Act, for gradual abolishment of slavery; passage of the 1808 Act to prevent the kidnapping of free slaves; passage of 1810 Act, a ban on the importation of slaves for sale; and the passage of the 1841 Act, slaves brought into New York State by their owners are immediately free. Forging The Freedom Trail Project Foundation, http://www.freedomtrail.org, is a state wide organization based in Bainbridge, New York, with a "Tourist And Visitors Information Center" for local tourism, Black history, historical sites, the Underground Railroad and the initiation of local "Agri-Tourism" as an economic driven engine for economic development of the local economy in the region. We are also addressing the correct instruction, initiation of Black history, in private and public schools educational systems, by the New York State Department of Education with a developed curriculum syllabus on Black History.

Also, we strongly take the position and advocate the physical act of the preservation of our historic sites, which is necessary for the understanding of the context of our past.

Just as we support, for the same reasons, the "Black Women's Leadership Caucus" located in Albany, for the commemoration of Harriet Tubman for a state and national holiday.

The Captial-Saratoga, Hudson Valley, are two (2) of the organization's eleven (11) New York State Regions, that are being coordinated by our organization.

Regional Coordinators, Sister Fern, of Peekskill, New York, are working to establish a museum, to explore Black historical sites and the Civil War history in the Capital-Saratoga and Hudson Valley. With the passing of the "Freedom Trail" legislation by the New York State legislators in Albany.

Forging The Freedom Trail Project Foundation is pursuing to coordinate with the New York State Department of Education, the New York State Division of Tourism to join with the Hudson Mohawk Resource Conservation and Development Council, Inc., and other entities in the Capital-Saratoga, the Hudson Valley and throughout New York State to accomplish joint cooperation for the initiation, development of this "Freedom Trail." With this cooperation, we are looking forward to joint activities for the express purpose for promotion of statewide cultural activities and tourism. Also, collectively working for the preservation of any Underground Railroad historical sites to be founded statewide and particularly in the Capital-Saratoga, Hudson Valley regions.

Mr. Charles Swain, Minorities Historian of Greene County and Professor A.J. Williams-Meyers, Dept. of Black Studies, SUNY New Paltz, both contributed to the writing of this article. They have our thanks and appreciation for their contributions.