William Henry Seward: New York’s #1 Antislavery Politician
William Henry Seward maximized legal protection for fugitive slaves as Governor, hid them in his basement as Senator, and was too radical to be President.
Vigilance Committee
Isaac T. Hopper – “Father of the Underground Railroad”
Isaac T. Hopper (1771-1852) was a pioneer abolitionist and social reformer. He is sometimes considered to be the “Father of the Underground Railroad”.
David Ruggles and the New York Committee of Vigilance
David Ruggles was New York’s most radical, infamous, and hated black abolitionist, and the chief operative of the New York Committee of Vigilance.