Historians in the News
Historian reveals realities behind Iowa’s role in underground railroad
Source: Newton Daily News (2-9-10)
These freedom-seekers took the biggest risk of all involved.
Historian Galin Berrier made this and other realities of the underground railroad clear at a Chautauqua lecture at William Penn University on Thursday night. Berrier currently serves as an adjunct instructor at Des Moines Area Community College.
Berrier focused on the fact that much of what is known about the underground railroad has been told by white people assisting recently escaped African-Americans.
“The underground railroad is really very much more a black story than it is a white story,” said Berrier. “The underground railroad is first and foremost a story of blacks, to a great extent, freeing themselves.”
Like many free states during America’s slavery days, Iowa had a number of stops on the underground railroad.
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