The Underground Railroad in Illinois – Connecting the Dots

Illinois has a rich Underground Railroad History. Join Looking for Lincoln virtually on YouTube on Wednesday, September 11, 2024 at 7 pm to learn more about the Underground Railroad in Illinois, and the efforts that continue today to bring these stories to life.

“Connecting the Dots,” with author Larry McClellan, will discuss the state-wide journeys of freedom seekers during the decades before the Civil War, and the responding networks that helped move people to freedom. The program will delve into this powerful part of Illinois history, as well as the modern work of The Illinois Underground Railroad Task Force.

Looking for Lincoln invites the public to watch and participate in this live online program on Wednesday, September 11, 2024 at 7 pm on the Looking for Lincoln YouTube and Facebook video channels. Questions can be submitted by viewers during the program for the host to con-sider at the end of the presentation.

Larry McClellan’s consulting, research and writing focus is on freedom seekers and the Underground Railroad, and on African American and regional history south of Chicago. Major publications include 25 articles in the Encyclopedia of Chicago [2005]; The Underground Railroad South of Chicago [2019], co-author of To the River, The Remarkable Journey of Caroline Quarlls, a Freedom Seeker on the Underground Railroad [2019]. His work, Onward to Chicago: Freedom Seekers and the Underground Railroad in Northeastern Illinois was published by Southern Illinois University Press in 2023, and received the national 2023 Memorial Prize for the Advancement of Knowledge from the Underground Railroad Free Press. In 2022 he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Illinois State Historical Society for his contributions to Illinois history. In 2024, they gave his latest book their Award for Superior Achievement.

This program will be recorded for viewing after the premier and will be available on the Looking for Lincoln Facebook and YouTube video channels. Reservations are not required, and there is no cost to view the event.