In the years leading up to the American Civil War, Ohio was a heavily traveled escape route for enslaved men and
women seeking freedom along the secret, hidden paths that came to be called the "Underground Railroad".
Ohio’s history of the Underground Railroad has become the stuff of legend, filled with inspiring narratives and dramatic
accounts of people overcoming harsh conditions and great danger to free themselves from the shackles of slavery.
Fortunately, this incredible story lives on today in Passage to Freedom, Ohio’s exciting new program for people who want
to experience history where it happened.
Oberlin, Ohio
The town of Oberlin and its college were founded in 1833 and from the beginning Oberlin was different from any other
school and community in the nation. It was the first coeducational college in the US where women and men were taught
in the same classroom, and the first college to admit students “irrespective of color.” Oberlin was a community
committed to opposing slavery and educating blacks as well as providing an active stop on the Underground Railroad
and playing a major role in the abolition movement.
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Zanesville, Ohio
The Zanesville area was home to prominent abolitionists as well as the location for two conventions of the Ohio
Abolition Society which was founded in 1834 by John Rankin. Along with the Hubbard Home, the Putnam Underground
Railroad Education Center is open for visitors to come and learn about the Underground Railroad and its participates
in the Zanesville.
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