Uncovering the History of Slavery and Antislavery in the Mid-Hudson Valley
Since 2006 the Mid-Hudson Antislavery History Project (MHAHP) has brought together researchers, educators, community leaders, and members of the public to:
- Conduct and synthesize research on the history of slavery and antislavery in New York’s Mid-Hudson Valley
- Interpret and share this history with a wide array of residents and visitors in our region
- Place this local history in the broader contexts of racial slavery in the New World, the African American experience, and the legacy of slavery today
Throughout the Hudson Valley, the landscape was shaped by New York’s two centuries of slavery. The region made a more concentrated use of enslaved labor than almost any area in the North. But the region also was a center of abolitionist activity that was often led by local Free Blacks. Across the region are places where people of African descent lived, worked, and sought and won their freedom from slavery, served as conductors on the Underground Railroad, and spoke out for freedom and justice.
Today, the legacies of racial slavery continue to haunt us, yet the history of slavery and its opposition is little-known and often hidden. The Mid-Hudson Antislavery History Project is dedicated to uncovering this essential part of our past and bringing it into full public view. An important part of our work is to advance the knowledge and understanding of the role of the Underground Railroad in this history,
MHAHP meets regularly. We welcome your participation! If you are interested in attending our meetings, please contact us at info@mhahp.vassarspaces.net.
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News & Views
- Join us for the MHAHP Fundraiser and Quilt Exhibition on October 19 th at the Oakwood Friends School, 22 Spackenkill Road, Poughkeepsie from 2-4:30 pm. For tickets, click here. The exhibition will also be open to the public on October 26th from 11:00 am – 4:00 pm. More information here.
- The Slave Dwelling Project Conference: The illusion of Freedom: Slavery in the North. Hold the date, October 3-5, Philadelphia, PA. Click here for more information.
- The Oh, Freedom! Quilting Project creates quilts remembering the history of slavery and antislavery in the Hudson Valley! For more information, click here.
- Van Cortlandt House Museum will be hosting a talk on Thursday, October 10 at 6 pm – “The Underground Railroad in New York City: David Ruggles and the New York Committee of Vigilance,” presented by U. Buffalo scholar Isaac Kolding. RSVP here!
