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
MHAHP Plans Major Commemoration for the Bicentennial of the Abolition of Slavery in New York State 

A Call for Quilts

The Mid-Hudson Antislavery History Project will mark this important bicentennial with an Oh, Freedom! art quilt exhibition at the Marist University Steel Plant Gallery in Poughkeepsie in September and October of 2027. Throughout the coming bicentennial year, it is right that we contemplate the two hundred years that kept so many Black men, women and children in bondage – and remember the long struggle for equal rights that continues to this day.

MHAHP is proud to announce this call for entries.  You can find the call here.

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.
  • Upcoming Webinar by Debbie Ann Paige on July 14, 2026 at 7:00 PM: Witness My Hand: Slavery and Freedom in Staten Island’s Early Republic. This presentation explores the transition from slavery to freedom on Staten Island after the American Revolution. It examines the impact of New York’s gradual abolition laws and recovers the stories of African Americans whose lives challenges, possibilities, and enduring legacy of emancipation. Click here to register.
  • Quaker Meeting House Tours return in 2026: Tours run on the second Sunday of each month from June through November, 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., with different sites open on different dates — giving visitors multiple opportunities to explore the region’s rich Quaker heritage throughout the season. See here for more information.
  • 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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