The National Park Service (NPS) has expanded the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Program with the addition of 31 new listings across 13 states. These new entries include significant sites, educational programs, and research facilities that have met the criteria in the NPS’s biannual review of applicants.
Among the notable additions are the birthplace of abolitionist John Brown in Connecticut, a site in California where 14 freedom seekers were rescued, and a monument in St. Louis, Missouri, that commemorates 326 people of African descent who sought freedom through the city’s circuit courts. These sites and programs provide a deeper understanding of the Underground Railroad’s history and its role in the abolition of slavery in the United States.
The National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Program was established to honor, preserve, and promote the history of the resistance to enslavement through escape and flight. With these new additions, the program continues to expand its efforts in educating the public about the historical significance and relevance of the Underground Railroad.