Southern Road to Freedom: Florida’s Underground Railroad

The nation’s first Underground Railroad was established in Florida in the late 17th century, servings as a beacon of freedom for runaway slaves from the American south. Existing before the better-known Northern Underground Railroad, enslaved Africans gained their freedom by escaping and earning asylum in Spanish Florida. This presentation focuses on Florida’s early history as a Spanish territory, the escape routes used by runaway slaves, and the black communities they established before the abolition of slavery in the United States. Admission is free but registration is required.

Magdalena Lamarre was a Full Professor of History and Sociology at Miami-Dade College. Since her retirement in 2016, she conducts lectures on Florida’s history, culture, diversity, and social justice. Lamarre earned a BA in History and Secondary Education from Hunter College, a MA in History Education from Stony Brook University, and completed post-graduate work in Sociology and Education at Florida International University.

This Florida Talks program is a partnership between Florida Humanities and the Marco Island Historical Society. Funding for this program was provided by Florida Humanities and sponsored in part by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Arts and Culture, the Florida Council on Arts and Culture, and the National Endowment for the Arts.