The Search for the Underground Railroad in Upstate New York

by Tom Calarco

A historian investigates evidence for the existence of the Underground Railroad in upstate New York.Because of its clandestine nature, much of the history of the Underground Railroad remains shrouded in secrecy—so much so that some historians have even doubted its importance. After decades of research, Tom Calarco recounts his experiences compiling evidence to give credence to the legend’s oral history in upstate New York. As the Civil War loomed and politicians from the North and South debated the fate of slavery, brave New Yorkers risked their lives to help fugitive slaves escape bondage. Whites and Blacks alike worked together on the Underground Railroad, using ingenious methods of communication and tactics to stay ahead of the slave master and bounty hunter. Especially after the passage of the Fugitive Slave Act, conscientious residents doubled their efforts to help runaways reach Canada. Join Calarco on this journey of discovery of one of the noblest endeavors in American history.

189 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 20, 2014

About the author

Tom Calarco is the author / editor of eight books about the Underground Railroad including The Underground Railroad and the Adirondack Region, for which he won the year 2008 Underground Railroad Free Press award for the advancement of knowledge in Underground Railroad studies. His latest, The Search for the Underground Railroad in South-Central Ohio is slated for publication by History Press in late October, 2018. He has written for many publications during the last 30 years, including many years as stringer for antiques publications and a decade as a classical music reviewer. His one published novel, the fantasy Hi-doh Hi-dee Ha-Ha, is being republished by Total Recall Press along with a six-hour audio version in September 2018. The new edition has been updated with minor revisions.

See his blog at tomcalarco.com.

Reviews

[Alexander Peck · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a history of the history of the Underground railroad. Now the process of collecting and curating history is a bit dry at times but the book works and you are left knowing why we know what we know. The author is humble: praising other historians and timidly stating his own conjectures.

It is also short and has a lot of pictures.

[Hope Irvin Marston · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though I did in-depth research before writing two book about slaves, their settings were in the South for the most part. Hence, I knew little about the underground railroad. This title caught my eye when I saw it in my local library. Though I've lived in upstate New York for more that fifty years, I had never seen any indication of runaway slave activity in my environs.
Most of the runaways described in this book occurred in neighboring counties in places I was somewhat familiar with because my husband and I were campers and mountain climbers.
The stories are well documented accounts with "chapter and verse" listed in the back matter. As a librarian by profession, I appreciated the author's sticking to what he could prove. Yet, he also added some interesting "scuttlebutt" and explained why certain passed-on tales could not have been true.
I recommend this book to students doing research on the underground railroad in upstate New York.

Hope Irvin Marston, award-winning author of THE WALLS HAVE EARS: A BLACK SPY IN THE CONFEDATE WHITE, a Charlotte Award 2021 Nominee.

[Jonathan Jefferson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thorough well documented history of Americans acting in accordance with their nation's ideals.