Underground Railroad

The story of the Underground Railroad is intimately tied to New York's canals.

Many African Americans used the Erie, Champlain, Oswego, and Cayuga-Seneca Canals as routes for escaping from slavery. For some, the canals became pathways to freedom in Canada. Other African Americans settled in canal towns. Many Americans kept safe houses near the canals to assist people who escaped from slavery on the Underground Railroad.

Throughout the Corridor, you'll discover travel routes, hiding places, safe houses, and destinations for African Americans seeking to escape slavery in the 1800s.