The Underground Railroad in Illinois Connecting the Dots

Illinois has a rich Underground Railroad History.  Join us for a look state-wide at the journeys of Freedom Seekers and the responding networks of the Underground Railroad in the decades before the Civil War.   Connecting the dots in this powerful part of Illinois history.  In addition, details about the work of the Illinois Underground Railroad Task Force.

Larry McClellan's  consulting, research and writing focus is on freedom seekers and the Underground Railroad, and on African American and regional history south of Chicago.  Major publications include 25 articles in the Encyclopedia of Chicago [2005]; The Underground Railroad South of Chicago [2019], co-author of To the River, The Remarkable Journey of Caroline Quarlls, a Freedom Seeker on the Underground Railroad [2019].   Onward to Chicago:  Freedom Seekers and the Underground Railroad in Northeastern Illinois was published by Southern Illinois University Press in 2023.  This received the national 2023 Memorial Prize for the Advancement of Knowledge from the Underground Railroad Free Press. In 2022 he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Illinois State Historical Society for his contributions to Illinois history and, in 2024, they gave his latest book their Award for Superior Achievement.