Lessons in the Geography of the
Underground Railroad in New York State
Scenario 8: The Greater Rochester Regionby Timothy McDonnell
New York Geographic Alliance
STATIONS ON THE ROCHESTER/ GENESEE TRAIL
List of UGRR Stations:
| 1
-
Pitts
Mansion (Honeoye) |
5 -
Douglass
Home (Rochester) |
9
-
Ramsdell
Castle (Perinton) |
| 2
-
Rubin Sleeper Home (Mt. Morris) |
6 -
Babcock
House (Brighton) |
10
-
Friends
Meeting House (Farmington) |
| 3
-
James
Sperry Home (Henrietta) |
7 -
Kelsey'
Landing (Rochester) |
|
| 4
-
Warrant
Homestead (Brighton) |
8 -
Isaac
Chase Home (Greece) |
There
are
several
parts
to
this lesson. First you will decide on a route
for a Freedom Seeker to take on his/her way northward. Then you
will read about a real escape on the Underground
Railroad in the Southern Tier of New York State. You will look over some primary
sources (old map, census record, a journal) and see
if the story makes sense. Ready? It's time to do some geography!
TASK
1:
Look at the NYGA Elevation Map
(by Carol Gersmehl). What does
the landscape look like
in the Genesee Region of New York? Do you think that this would affect
the
routes Freedom Seekers took?
TASK 2: Help plan the escape route for a Freedom Seeker:
A fugitive family from Maryland's Eastern Shore has traveled through the Finger Lakes, and now they are hiding out at the Pitts Homestead in Honeoye, NY. There are rumors of slave catchers in the vicinity. So, they need to moved toward Rochester. Hopefully, Frederick Douglass can put them on a boat for Canada at Kelsey's Landing on the Genesee River. How can you get these Freedom Seekers to the Douglass home?
Determine a good path, listing the stations you probably could use along the way. Record them on your Student Worksheet.
TASK 3: The docks at Kelsey's Landing are being watched by federal marshalls. It is too dangerous to put the fugitives on a boat. Can you think of an alternative? Write your new plan on the Student Worksheet.
Primary Sources to Help in Verification
TASK 2: Help plan the escape route for a Freedom Seeker:
A fugitive family from Maryland's Eastern Shore has traveled through the Finger Lakes, and now they are hiding out at the Pitts Homestead in Honeoye, NY. There are rumors of slave catchers in the vicinity. So, they need to moved toward Rochester. Hopefully, Frederick Douglass can put them on a boat for Canada at Kelsey's Landing on the Genesee River. How can you get these Freedom Seekers to the Douglass home?
Determine a good path, listing the stations you probably could use along the way. Record them on your Student Worksheet.
TASK 3: The docks at Kelsey's Landing are being watched by federal marshalls. It is too dangerous to put the fugitives on a boat. Can you think of an alternative? Write your new plan on the Student Worksheet.
TASK
4:
Now that you have determined a possible escape route for a
Freedom Seeker, now it is time to compare it to an actual event in the
real Underground Railroad. To view this document, click on this link: Rochester.
Primary Sources to Help in Verification
| Photos of People and UGRR Stations |
Maps and Panoramic Views |
Census Records |
Documents |
| Frederick Douglass Amy Post Frederick Douglass Sign Isaac Chase Home Ramsdell Castle (Perinton) North Star Printing Press Kelsey's Landing |
Railroad Map of New York State Rochester Panoramic Map Canal Map 1868 |
Frederick Douglass and Family Rochester African-American 1 Rochester African-American 2 |
William Parker's Escape History of UGRR in Rochester (Library website) |
Make
sure you answer the questions on the Student Worksheet from Task 4.
This
includes
filling
in the chart on the primary sources included in
this web page.
CONCLUSIONS: The wrap-up of this activity will be done as a class. Make sure you participate in the class discussion!
CONCLUSIONS: The wrap-up of this activity will be done as a class. Make sure you participate in the class discussion!
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