No area in the nation is more tied to the struggle for African-American freedom than the border region of Kansas and Missouri. One town, Quindaro, founded in 1856 in collaboration with the Wyandot Tribe and located in what is now Kansas City, Kansas, was a safe harbor for escaped slaves crossing the Missouri River into Kansas Territory. It became a vital stop for those traveling the Underground Railroad.

University of Washington historian Quintard Taylor explores that region in the decade from 1855-65 and the nexus between border fighting and freedom for the enslaved. While Quindaro is most widely associated with that freedom, Taylor recalls the swirl of events in the region that led to the town’s creation and ultimately brought liberation to more than 10,000 African-Americans.

The presentation serves as the keynote address for the Quindaro Symposium held April 19-21 in Kansas City, Kansas, exploring the long history of the Quindaro community from the Civil War era through modern efforts to study, preserve, and rehabilitate the townsite. It is co-presented by the Library, the Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area, Missouri Humanities Council, and the University of Missouri-Kansas City’s Center for Midwestern Studies.