In the decades before the Civil War, Thomas Downing, the son of slaves, became the acknowledged oyster king of New York City when New York was the oyster capital of the known universe. He had learned how to rake oysters … Continue reading
Tag Archives: Underground Railroad
Born a slave, Harriet Tubman escaped from enslavement and became a leading “conductor” on the “Underground Railroad” which helped slaves escape from bondage in the South to freedom in the North and in Canada, prior to the Civil War. … Continue reading
Born a slave, Harriet Tubman escaped and would become a leading “conductor” on the “Underground Railroad” which helped slaves escape from bondage in the South to freedom in the North and in Canada, prior to the Civil War. Nicknamed “Moses,” she … Continue reading
With the arrival of the newly elected administration, Harriet Tubman, abolitionist and underground railroad “conductor” is back in the news and may, before too very long, grace our currency. In 2016, the Treasury decided to put the image of Harriet … Continue reading
A follow up to yesterday’s post about Thomas Downing, the free black owner of an upscale oyster house in New York’s financial district prior to the Civil War. While serving New York City’s white financial and political elite upstairs, Downing … Continue reading
In the decades before the Civil War, Thomas Downing, the son of slaves, became the acknowledged oyster king of New York City when New York was the oyster capital of the known universe. He had learned how to rake oysters … Continue reading