Columbia County was an important and vibrant community in the first half of the 19th century. Temperance, reform movements and Underground Railroad activity were part of the antebellum period. Numerous freedom seekers, such as Peter Wheeler pictured here, made their way to the region, some to settle, some to find respite before moving on, knowing that support was available from abolitionists, both black and white, who made the region their home.

The Underground Railroad Education Center brings to the public the historically documented accounts of both freedom seekers and abolitionists, highlighting the leadership roles occupied by African Americans abolitionists, identifying who they were, what they did, where they engaged in their activities as they sought to ensure that the promises of our nation’s Declaration of Independence were available to all.

This virtual program is presented by the Underground Railroad Education Center in Albany and Hosted by the Columbia County Libraries Association.

To register email: columbiacountylibraries@gmail.com