History is something that everyone seems to be intrigued by. There is a good reason for it. Our history is what has shaped our present and will impact our future. However, no event has had as much impact as the Revolutionary War and you can take a walk through history along the Freedom Trail.

About the Trail

The historic Freedom Trail is located in Auburn, NY. The sights that you will visit along the way include well preserved parts of history. There are churches, meeting houses, museums, parks, historic markers, and burying grounds. There is also a ship that you can see and it all comes together to tell you the story of the American Revolution and more. If you choose a guided tour, you will have the opportunity to hear fact based tales of treason, partisan fights, mob agitations, and much more. The Freedom Trail is also linked to another monumental aspect of our history, the Black Heritage Trail where you will hear the story of Harriet Tubman.

The Black Heritage Trail

This trail links more than 15 pre-civil war areas for you to explore. One of which is the African Meeting House, which was built in 1806 and remains the oldest surviving black church in the US. It is such an important trail because Massachusetts was the first state to declare slavery illegal in 1783 and many slaves attempted to escape into it via the Underground Railroad. This is also where you will learn about Harriet Tubman since she is considered an icon of the Underground Railroad. However, she did not become a part of the Underground Railroad until it had been operating for over 30-years. This did not lessen her impact on history because she still managed to do a lot of great things.

 

Harriet Tubman

Harriet Tubman was born into slavery in 1822. During her lifetime, she was beaten as a child and suffered a major head wound when she was accidentally hit by a metal weight. She then experienced vivid dreams and visions, which she felt came from God. In 1849, she managed to escape and then made approximately 13 more trips through the Underground Railroad to help other slaves escape to freedom before her death on March 10, 1913. For this reason, she was a true American abolitionist and was also very active in the women’s suffrage movement, which would allow women to vote in elections, before she became ill. To date, she is still considered an icon of American Courage and Freedom for all that she did during her lifetime.

Explore History to the Fullest

There are a lot of great places to explore American history in Cayuga County New York. There are so many different things to see and do, even if you are off the trails that depict a pivotal time in history. If you have a love of history and want to explore it thoroughly, there is no better place to go. This is why there are school trips and visitors to the area every day of the year.