UNRAVELING FACT OR FICTION: GENESEE COUNTY HOMES ON THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD

The Fugitive Slave Act made assisting and harboring escaped slaves a punishable

crime…so the people fleeing from their bondage and running toward freedom

were hidden by those who sympatized with their suffering, and were taking

action. It was a dangerous time. The secrets were kept, with barely a trace. This

makes it extremely challenging to research the network and sites that may have

been involved in the Underground Railroad.

Carol Bacak-Egbo is a nationally and regionally known historian, archeologist and

educator and part of the Oakland County Historical Commission. She has done

extensive investigation on this topic in Oakland County and has now turned her

eye on their next-door neighbor, Genesee County, its Anti-Slavery Society, wellknown

abolitionists, and the purported “stations” along the Railroad.

JOIN US to gain a better understanding of how the Underground Railroad

functioned and the role both Michigan and Genesee County played. Learn about

our county’s activism during this consequential era in American history and the

local key players. Bacak-Egbo also shares the techniques and resources she uses

for assessing claims of connection of a person or a structure’s function in the

Railroad, as well as discovering the stories of abolitionists and freedom seekers.

You’ll also learn how to interpret a variety of historical sources including maps,

census records and deeds, and analyze and evaluate historical evidence. A great

program for family genealogists, too!