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