African American Museum in Philadelphia

AAMP is pleased to present Sailing to Freedom: Maritime Dimensions of the Underground Railroad, a compelling traveling exhibition developed initially at the New Bedford Whaling Museum in 2022 under the co-curation of Dr. Timothy Walker and Michael Dyer.

This landmark project invites audiences to revisit and deepen our understanding of the maritime dimension of the Underground Railroad. It uncovers how enslaved African Americans, in addition to overland routes, undertook daring escapes by sea—charting covert paths along the Atlantic coast, aboard merchant and passenger vessels, and via lesser-known watercraft.
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This traveling version of the exhibition presents faithful reproductions of the original displays, alongside new interpretive material that expands both geographical scope and historical insight. It offers visitors an immersive encounter with narratives of flight, resilience, and agency—stories of freedom pursued not only across land but over water, and beyond the bounds of the United States.