Perilous Lost: An Underground Railroad Authority Dissects a Misunderstanding of the Underground Railroad
Recently, I came across an article in The New Yorker published in 2016, The Perilous Lure of the Underground Railroad. I’ve been studying the Underground Railroad for 30 years, have had eight books about it published, and have won a national award for my research. The article was a great disappointment because it echoed misunderstandings that continue to obscure the truth.
It was similar to an Op-Ed in the New York Times the same year that I had read at that time. Both claim the activities of the Underground Railroad were greatly exaggerated. I sent in a rebuttal to the NYT, but it was never published.
This New Yorker article was longer, more in depth, and argued its case more forcefully. It also included facts, which based on my study are dubious.
I have been lobbying against the idea that the UGRR was more legend than fact for nearly two decades and this article was another argument ignoring the facts.
So what is the legend?
That an organized group of those committed to end slavery set up a vast network that regulated the passage of fugitive slaves (freedom seekers is the politically correct term) to the Promised Land of Canada.
