Did you know Frederick Douglass & Harriet Tubman lived in Upstate NY?
Frederick Douglass lived and worked in Rochester for over 25 years. While in Rochester, Douglass founded The North Star, an antislavery newspaper first published in 1847 in Rochester. The paper was named after the North Star in the night sky, which was a reference point used to guide individuals to freedom along the Underground Railroad. The moto of the newspaper was “Right is of no sex - Truth is of no color - God is the Father of us all, and we are brethren.” The City of Rochester will be paying tribute to Douglas with the dedication of a new sculpture and plaza space on the Genesee River named for his publication this summer. Douglass is buried in Rochester and his grave site can be visited in the historic Mount Hope Cemetery.
Frederick Douglass’ Rochester - https://rocdouglass.com/
The North Star - https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-North-Star-American-newspaper
Mount Hope Cemetery - https://www.cityofrochester.gov/visitmounthope/
Harriet Tubman used skills she learned about the stars and natural environment to help guide individuals to freedom through the Underground Railroad. She once claimed she never lost a passenger. Tubman was a lifelong humanitarian and activist forming relationships and friendships with Frederick Douglas, John Brown, William Henry Seward and Susan B. Anthony. In 1859 Tubman purchased a home in Auburn, NY from William Henry Sewerd where she lived until she died in 1913. Harriet Tubman was buried with military honors at Fort Hill Cemetery in Auburn. Restoration efforts are currently underway at the Harriet Tubman Home whose charge is to share Harriet Tubman’s core values with visitors through a guided tour of the property. In 2017 the Harriet Tubman National Historical Park was established.
Harriet Tubman (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov)