Traveling exhibit traces how the Underground Railroad flowed through Illinois
The Underground Railroad Gateway to Freedom Monument is seen in Hart Plaza in Detroit. AP Photo/Carlos Osorio
Illinois was a key state for the union in the Civil War -- providing both the president and the commanding general who put down the southern rebellion and re-united the states. Illinois is also generally regarded as a free state, but the truth is that our relationship and history with slavery is more complicated.
That said, Illinois did play a major role in in the Underground Railroad, where Black Americans escaping enslavement traveled through places like Cairo and Quincy, making their way north to freedom.
Guests:
Sarah Watson
Executive Director, Looking for Lincoln and the Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area
Brian Mitchell
African American and Underground Railroad Historian and Scholar
Heather Feezor
Program Manager, Looking for Lincoln and the Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area