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There was a confrontation on the now-gone Third Street bridge between pro-slavery Zanesville residents and anti-slavery Putnam residents attempting to protect the man. Instances like the accused runaway slave aren't as commonly known, however. People might know more about Increase Matthews, who helped found Putnam, and John McIntire, a co-founder of Zanesville. An app developed by Zanesville city government also will help visitors guide themselves on tours. "As we're finding out, Frederick Douglass had a gift for ad-lib," Beatty said, so there's really no copy of his speech to point to. The Ohio Anti-Slavery Society held conventions there, the first of which was attended by 114 people met by a mob of protesters. In 1833, the Putnam Anti-Slavery Society was founded by H.C. The Stone Academy turned out to have another purpose. It was first built in hopes of Putnam becoming Ohio's capital building, but Zanesville beat it out with the establishment of the Muskingum County Courthouse. The Stone Academy is now home to Muskingum County History, but it's come a long way since it was built in 1809. A secret operation hard to traceĪ separate municipality from Zanesville prior to its annexation, was a flourishing Underground Railroad town with conductors ushering in weary escaped slaves to hide in their homes. It's a big staple in our history, yet it's hard to have (documentation)," Beatty said. There is not as much documentation as desired due to its secretive nature, so it can be hard to piece together, according to Muskingum County History Director Scott Beatty. Read about Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad.Local historians don't want Putnam's role in the Underground Railroad to be erased, either.Your browser does not support the audio element. Listen to a recorded reading of this page:.Take a ten question quiz about this page.In keeping with the railroad terminology, escaping enslaved people were often referred to as passengers or cargo.
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The Mississippi River was called the "River Jordan" from the Bible.
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#SLAVE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD STORY FREE#
This made it a law that runaway enslaved people found in free states had to be returned to their owners in the south. In 1850 the Fugitive Slave Act was passed in the United States. There are estimates that say over 100,000 of the enslaved escaped over the history of the railroad, including 30,000 that escaped during the peak years before the Civil War. Since enslaved people escaped and lived in secrecy, no one is quite sure how many escaped.
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