Slaveholding capital pennsylvania from the 1770s on until almost the 1820s and 1830s. Even though it was abolished in a gradual abolition act by the state it still lingered in this local area which was very close to maryland and had more southern ties. It made the area very distinct from the rest of the state as time went on this area transitioned from a slaveholding capital to one of the greatest places on the underground railroad because of geography and the people who lived here. It was on the weight almost distinct. This area which is west was settled more recently. Slavery have taken root here therefore a lot of the owners did not feel that it was at their best interest to make a change they continued and persisted in this. It was the first state to pass a legislative abolition of slavery. That was passed by the legislature in philadelphia. All slaves born the only people would would be free would be those born after the passage. In that day and age the average would be 40 years old. Or a slave into 20 years old. Its really the best years of your life take it away from you. It was an abolitionist act but is very slow moving in for the people here even though this was passed in 1780 the first slave would not be freed until 18 08. It was a very slow moving law and here they like to pretend that it didnt exist. Right now were at the fort hunter park which is a park that is open to the public fort hunter was begun as an operating plantation he was the older one. Its born around 1756. He is a very profitable plantation here at fort hunter we are about 2 miles north of harrisburg proper. Archibald mcallister has 300 acres. He was very scientific farmer. His all sorts of different orchards about the properties he also is a great friend to black snakes he knows as a farmer that they kill rodents and other pass. However he is not a friend to the black slaves who are on his property. He was somewhat heartless. He owns roughly ten to a dozen slaves at different points in time in 1813 on this very property was born his grandson we know very little about him because he left no writing or sentiments about his feelings on slavery. Was a father and grandfather who were slave holders we can only guess what he saw. The grandson is in 1862 elected to congress he represents a district mcallister defeats a native mcpherson was a staunch abolitionist. He is friends with that east stevens he becomes that in the house of representatives. Edward mcpherson is recording the votes. Archibald mcallister stands up and initially in the stains. He is one of the deciding votes for the 13th amendment. It was passed. North of harrisburg who represented gettysburg and it was recorded. Whether the feelings were ever be discovered was one of the crucial and key men in order to abolish the institution of slavery in the united states. Thaddeus stevens is a major player he arrives in gettysburg. In 1817. Is he is a young lawyer from vermont. He is quickly elected to the state house however he has some disagreements and is kind of rejected but he continues to serve estate representative. He does a number of things very back candidly to ensure that it becomes a center of and inter ground railroad. Its located in a very prime position. Been that the aiken aid runaways even as far south as north carolina. It will all converge towards gettysburg. He was on the board of the bank. He have it written into all of the mortgages of the farmers they could be called on demand. If you saw underground Railroad Activity the mortgage could be called in by thaddeus stevens. He helped charter. Thaddeus stevens have arranged where he worked for the school. He was not a janitor he was a conductor of the underground railroad. He would help lead runaways. Today it is state park. From there he would lead a village for runaway slaves. To get enacted a railroad cut. Today that is still visible as the gash in the ground which is made famous they have that put there. It became a great passageway. Straight into the heart of gettysburg. The only actual underground railroad in the nation. And from there they were funneled into gettysburg. There is a house call the widow thompson house. He have a very elaborate network of political in Property Ownership that allowed the underground railroad to operate. He either was a direct shareholder or on the board of directors or he simply owned the property. They managed to do that even after he left gettysburg this arrangement persisted and they continue to own those properties it allowed the underground railroad to thrive for 30 years. One of the most prolific conductors. He lived right on the border so about 20 miles south southeast of harrisburg. And the rights according to some accounts have over a thousand fugitive slaves he began in 1819 and he actually in 1840 moved and built a specific house that was specifically tailored to the underground railroad. It have more doors and windows than the typical house. In the staircase outside for easy escape at any moment that was necessary. William wright was one both quakers were some of the most influential underground railroad conductors. So in the 1850s william and phoebe right have a couple of slaves that escaped. They asked him to do some work. They were waiting to pass them on a further towards harrisburg. The slave catchers arrived. Out of the goodness of your help heart. By boat you let them go inside. In the meantime they appeared. With the bible. And she lectured in these two men from maryland for over 30 minutes. They realize that the slaves are no longer to be seen. And i have done nothing of the sort. They searched the premises and cannot find the slave. This is a common routine. And cannot be found by the slave catchers. This is how risky the underground railroad was. Another instance was james pennington. In he told his captors that he have just been with the gang of slaves. He managed to make an escape that way. It was a story of a lot of personal ingenuity. We are looking at the more artifacts that pertain to local africanamerican history. The first item here is a neck collar. This was worn by a slave from kentucky named charles. He fled from kentucky in 1806 all the way to gettysburg pennsylvania and when he arrived the justice of the peace at the time was one of the ancestors. A black man wearing one of these in your town it was pretty suspect. He was put in the local jail. At that time the justice of the piece was peace was very much abolitionist. He posted it a reward. The master from kentucky has a desired to decided to come and retreat. Course note slave owner was going to read a gettysburg newspaper. That was a way of using the law to set it to free. If you are a free lack meant he could pick you up off the street. The in the luck of going to gettysburg they pertain to smith. She was a tri trite racial woman. Her mother was part indian. In part white. In those attributes go to woody Hamilton Smith. Hired by thaddeus stevens. Her role personally and professionally as his household serving. Managing his business affairs. In helping him write that. She was in washington dc at the time of the 13th amendment. She was in pennsylvania right after the battle of get us gettysburg. She was a very wealthy woman. She rode with a wagon full of provisions and close for the closed for the wounded men at gettysburg. And without prejudice. This is mrs. Smith. The format. And at the age have not cooperated. The only verified a photograph. It is published in the book that we are discussing. Here we have some artifacts and some of the lesser influential families. They were not employed by thaddeus stevens. On the underground railroad. They live in and around gettysburg here is an envelope with the name miss hannah big patriotic envelope set in 1862. And here is a little purse and satchel cult you might come along to one of the women of these two families. It gives you the insight into what daily life looked like for this meant these men and women. These artifacts here i tried to lay them out chronologically take us from the underground railroad to people who are living and thriving in south central. What it was like in the faith and devotion that was necessary in the case of woody Hamilton Smith to make sense of it all. Looking back today on what happened with slavery in southcentral pennsylvania we have to acknowledge that it was not just a southern institution. I think places like this here at fort hunter remind us that slavery existed long beyond the actual end date of slavery. They were still forced by Economic Conditions to live and work on many of the same imitations that they have in their mothers and fathers and grandfathers had been enslaved on. It is a legacy of the past. Its kind of what makes our communities click today. We are in harrisburg pennsylvania to learn about our history. Right now we are on city island which is located right across from downtowns harrisburg. As a place that is owned and operated by the citys mayor and his wife