NORWICH – Underground Railroad scholar Dr. Milton C. Sernett will appear in the Assembly Room of the Chenango County Historical Society (CCHS) at 2 p.m. Sunday. His lecture will explore in detail the history of the Underground Railroad in 19th Century New York State. Sernett’s talk perfectly complements this year’s CCHS theme, the role of women in Chenango County history, because it explores the relationships between Abolitionism and other 19th century reform movements including Women’s Rights.
Dr. Sernett, Professor Emeritus of African American Studies and History at Syracuse University, retired in 2005 after thirty years of teaching. Sernett was noted for his courses in African American Studies, History and Religion. In addition to teaching, he has published many books, articles and essays on American Abolitionism, the Underground Railroad and African American history. His latest book Harriet Tubman: myth, Memory and History will be published soon by Duke University Press.
New York State, especially upstate’s old “burned-over” district was fertile soil for the flowering of abolitionism. Sunday’s illustrated talk will place the story of the Underground Railroad in the context of the religious and reform movements of the pre-Civil War period, including the struggles of those who spearheaded the temperance crusade and the women’s rights campaign. The triumphs and defeats of Frederick Douglass, Gerrit Smith, Harriet Tubman, Beriah Green and many other 19th Century American human rights pioneers will form the backbone of what Sernett will have to say, but he also encourages his audience to come forward with any local stories of “Freedom’s Trail” they may have.
Dr. Sernett’s lecture is made possible with the support of the New York Council on the Humanities; there will be no admission charge. CCHS is located at 45 Rexford Street, the corner of Rexford and Silver Streets in Norwich. Refreshments will be served. There is ample parking in our lot.