Maritime escape episodes figure prominently in the majority of North American fugitive slave accounts. While past scholarship on the Underground Railroad has focused on overland escape routes, Dr. Walker will discuss how freedom was achieved by sea, and what the journey looked like for many African Americans.

Dr. Timothy Walker is Professor of History at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. He is also a guest investigator at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, a contributing faculty member of the Munson Institute of Maritime Studies, and Director of an NEH “Landmarks in American History” workshop series. Note: Registered participants will receive a link and promo code to buy his new book, Maritime Dimensions of the Underground Railroad, at a 30% discount with free shipping from UMASS Press.