Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Area
Introduction
Text-to-speech Audio
Images
This monument depicts refugees leaving the United States at the Niagara River.
The suspension bridge crossing to Canada was utilized by runaway slaves and was the final obstacle on their exodus out of the United States but did not mark the end of their journey.
Backstory and Context
Text-to-speech Audio
The crossing at Niagara Falls were often the final destination within the United States for runaway slaves who fled the American South with the goal of reaching Canada. The Niagara Falls area was home to a small but active abolitionist community who were willing to help runaway slaves escape the United States. The Falls marked the end of the journey in the United States, but runaways often traveled many more miles to established Black farming enclaves in what was then known as "Canada West."
Sources
Klein, Jeff Z. Heritage Moments: Harriet Tubman crosses the Niagara Falls Suspension Bridge. . 03/26/2018. http://news.wbfo.org/post/heritage-moments-harriet-tubman-crosses-niagara-falls-suspension-bridge.