ONE MORE RIVER TO CROSS.(Freedom Center of Cincinatti, Ohio)

Like many museums that deal with hot-button history, the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center agonizes over content and presentation.

In the mythology of the Underground Railroad, the Ohio River has a sacramental status. Crossing it transformed slaves into free men and women. The alchemy was imperfect, to be sure: Under federal law, slaves in the North remained property and could be recaptured. Still, reaching the free state of Ohio from Kentucky was a critical step in a pilgrimage that led to Canada and safety. Now, this voyage, undertaken by thousands of slaves ...

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