This program is based on research done for the Quincy Underground Railroad Museum. The development of the Underground Railroad in Quincy serves as a case study in why and how the network developed in Illinois. The presentation will include a background on slavery and abolitionism in the area and how the anti-slavery movement radicalized. Through a PowerPoint presentation I will narrate the events and describe the key personalities from the 1830s to the mid 1840’s.

 Patrick Hotle and Terrell Dempsey will share about their research.  They have collaborated on a book about abolitionism and the Underground Railroad in western Illinois. The book will be published by the University of Missouri Press.

The Journey to Freedom: Illinois' Underground Railroad video project looks at the lives of five individuals involved in the Underground Railroad.  Each narrative is a first-person account of freedom seekers or conductors based on newspapers, personal accounts and secondary sources.  The accounts include William Donnegan (Conductor), Susan Richardson (Freedom Seeker), John Hossack (Conductor), George Burroughs (Conductor) and Eliza Little (Freedom Seeker).  These individuals were selected to highlight black agency in the Underground Railroad,  highlight the types of individuals who were involved in the Underground Railroad and were from various geographical areas.  Join us to watch the videos and learn more about why these individuals were selected and a little more about their lives.

Heather Feezor is the Program Manager for Looking for Lincoln and has worked for the organization for over 10 years.  She recently oversaw the creation of the new travelling exhibit about the Underground Railroad in Illinois and assisted in developing programming to complement the exhibit.  She has her M.A. in Public History from the Univeristy of Illinois at Springfield.  

Though Illinois entered the Union as a free state in 1818, slavery continued to exist within its borders for decades. Freedom seekers, abolitionists, and pro-slavery forces turned to the judicial system to determine the fate of slavery in Illinois. This talk will highlight several of the nearly two dozen slave cases that reached the Illinois Supreme Court and examine the Court’s role in ending slavery in the Prairie State.

John Lupton, Executive Director, Illinois Supreme Court Historic Preservation Commission. Samuel Wheeler, Director of History Programs, Illinois Supreme Court Historic Preservation Commission.