The Howard County Freedom Seekers

Historical research on the Underground Railroad is notoriously difficult for multiple reasons. While there is little evidence of an organized Underground Railroad in Howard County, there were local efforts to assist freedom seekers wishing to escape enslavement. If these efforts were made known to local law enforcement, those assisting, enticing, persuading, or inciting these escapes were charged with crimes. The Howard County Historical Society research team focused on these documented cases from our own collections to tell the stories of the brave men and women who attempted to help enslaved people escape to freedom.