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

  • For more on all events, click here.
  • Quakers and Antislavery in the Era of the American Revolution: The Town of Clinton Historical Society is hosting a free talk by Sarah Gronningsater of the University of Pennsylvania on Friday, May 8th at 7:30PM, both online via Zoom and in person at the Creek Meeting House. To learn more, click here or go to clintonhistoricalsociety.org.
  • Yonkers Pinkster Jubilee: On Saturday, May 16th from 11AM-5PM, Philipse Manor Hall is celebrating the Afro-Dutch holiday of Pinkster with their 4th annual Jubilee, coinciding with Yonkers Arts Weekend. To learn more about the event and the history of Pinkster, click here or visit philipsemanorhall.com.
  • 3rd Annual Original Kinderhook Black Family Reunion & Pinkster Fest: On Saturday, May 16, from 12:00PM-5:00PM, the African American Archive of Columbia County, in collaboration with the Martin Van Buren Historic site at Lindenwald, is hosting a free day of cultural learning and fun in Kinderhook at Rothermel Park, Kinderhook. If you are interested in colonial history, this event is for you!
  • #FreedomWalk2026 Bonfire: On Thursday, May 28th from 6:00PM-8:00PM, #FreedomWalk2026 is stopping at Oakwood Friends School (22 Spackenkill Road, behind The Collins Library) for a bonfire gathering. Historian Anthony Michael Cohen will share about the journey so far, and what it stands for. Learn more about the bonfire gathering at PoughkeepsieQuakers.org/calendar and more about #FreedomWalk2026 at menare.org/freedomwalk2026.
  • The Oh, Freedom! Quilting Project is an ongoing project. We are looking volunteers and for organizations interested in creating a community quilt!
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