UNDERGROUND RAILROAD HISTORY PROJECT OF THE CAPITAL REGION, Inc.
P.O. Box 10851
Albany, New York 12201
(518) 432-4432
www.ugrworkshop.com
Call for Papers
Underground Railroad: Pathways to Liberty
The 5th annual Underground Railroad History Conference, Feb. 24-26, 2006.
Organized by Underground Railroad History Project of the Capital Region,
Inc., Albany, NY.
Hosted by Russell Sage College, Troy, New York.
Connecting and Engaging the Multiple Stories of the Region's Network to
Freedom.
While the term Underground Railroad first appeared in the early 1830s,
secret networks to freedom had long been in operation by then. As the
anti-slavery movement expanded and became more organized, it attracted
people from all walks of life. Eventually, some individuals within the
broader abolitionist movement who helped runaway slaves find their way to
freedom became part of a loosely organized and highly illegal network.
Despite political and social ostracism, criminal punishment, and physical
attacks, individuals, groups of like minded people, and communities were
committed to working to end institutional slavery by promoting the mission
to help freedom seekers find liberty and safety.
New York's Capital Region became a hotbed of abolitionist and Underground
Railroad activity and it was a crucial link in a larger system that
encompassed central and western New York, New England, and reached into
Canada and the southern states. The Capital Region's activists used a
variety of methods to educate citizens about the evils of slavery and to
abolish the institution. By committing themselves to freeing the enslaved,
they also worked to liberate themselves. The devotion to the cause of the
Underground Railroad by activists and the profound courage and tenacity of
the freedom seekers themselves is what we celebrate today.
The continuing effort to uncover and document the history of the
Underground Railroad movement in New York State inspires this
conference. We seek papers that offer new insights, research, and stories,
or that expand on existing knowledge of the Underground Railroad History of
New York State as it relates to regional, national, and international UGR
history.
Papers can be broad or narrow in their focus, they can highlight local
freedom seekers - who they were, where they came from, where they went, how
they got there, their collaborators and supporters, the abolitionists, and
their pursuers. They can also focus on locations, organizations, events,
and theoretical concepts. Papers for publication are welcome for
submission to the review panel. Papers, panel presentations, and roundtable
discussions are welcome for presentation at the conference.
In celebration of the fifth year of the Underground Railroad History
Conference, following the conference the Underground Railroad History
Project of the Capital Region, Inc. will publish an edited volume of
papers, which will be selected by a juried panel.
Papers for publication should be submitted by: October 15, 2005
Papers for publication should be submitted to: Kate Clifford-Larson, Ph.D.
Simmons College
300 The Fenway
Boston, MA 02115-5898
_______________________________________________
If you are interested in presenting at a workshop at the 5th annual
Underground Railroad History Conference, please send the following to
[log in to unmask] by September 15:
A brief expression of interest
An abstract of no more
than 150 words
All workshops are 60 minutes in length, they will be scheduled on Saturday,
February 25, 2006, and they will be held in Gurley Hall at Russell Sage
College in Troy, New York.
________________________________________________
Questions? Email to [log in to unmask] or call Mary Liz Stewart
at (518) 432-4432 or write Mary Liz Stewart, Conference Coordinator,
Underground Railroad History Project of the Capital Region, Inc., P.O. Box
10851, Albany, NY 12201
Please pass on this Call for Papers
Underground Railroad History Project of the Capital Region, Inc. is a
non-profit 501 ( c ) 3 organization provisionally chartered by the Regents
of the University of the State of New York
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