A conference that promises a fascinating examination of the Underground Railroad – encompassing facts and myths as well as local connections to the network of safe havens and secret routes that shuttled thousands of black slaves from southern states to freedom – will be conducted by history students on Thursday, Nov. 19, at 7 p.m., at Williams Center Rooms S204-ABC.
In two concurrent panel discussions, students enrolled in HIST 499, the honors capstone course, will share information gleaned from research papers each wrote.
The conference will begin with the keynote address, “Crossing the Black Atlantic on the Underground Railroad: A Transnational History of the Persuasive Power of the Fugitive from Slavery,” by Keith Griffler, associate professor and chair of the Transnational Studies Department at the State University at Buffalo. He will discuss the challenges and rewards of placing black voices at the center of the dialogue about the Underground Railroad.
Individual papers that students Andrew Abbey, Lindsey Bauza, David Denz, Greg Pinto, Jordan Reed, Cory Shelton and Emily Zane will present can be placed into one of two categories: “History, Myth and Popular Culture in the Underground Railroad Studies” and “Regional History of the Underground Railroad.”
All students were engaged in research into Chautauqua County’s role in the Underground Railroad, which operated during the first half of the 19th century. They visited the Fenton Historical Center, where they consulted archivist Karen Livsey, and studied documents written by Wendy Woodbury Straight, Fredonia alumna and former historian of the Fredonia Baptist Church, and Professor Emeritus Douglas Shepherd of the Department of English. Valuable guidance was also provided by Kerrie Fergen Wilkes and Kim Taylor, both of Daniel Reed Library.
“They have some great information about the involvement of people like Jermaine Loguen and Catherine Harris, two Underground Railroad activists,” said Jennifer Hildebrand, associate professor of History.
In his paper, Mr. Abbey explores the local connection. Chautauqua County was, indeed, a hotbed of Underground Railroad activity, but a significant portion of the population was opposed to the network, which made its operation here more complicated and tense than has sometimes been represented, Dr. Hildebrand explained.
"Helping to put together this conference has been a valuable learning experience for me, and I expect that the conference itself will teach me even more,” said Mr. Reed.
Mr. Pinto echoed his excitement for the conference, and added, “I am looking forward to sharing my topic with my peers. I am grateful that I got the chance to research such an interesting topic in American history and am excited to share what I've found."
The conference, which continues until 9 p.m., is sponsored by the Department of History, History Club and Social Studies Education Club and is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served.
