Historian Jane Williamson has researched and written about abolition and the underground railroad; recently she uncovered the history of African Americans in the Champlain Valley and is now extending her research to other parts of the state. She holds a masters degree in historic preservation from the University of Vermont and was the director of the Rokeby Museum for over 20 years.
Finding Jesse: “A Fugitive from Slavery in Vermont”
By Vermont Humanities | April 25, 2019
This illustrated talk brings the narrative of one slave out of anonymity and explores his life and pursuit of freedom. It traces Jesse’s life from enslavement in North Carolina to freedom in Vermont.
The War Before the War: Radical Abolition in Antebellum America
By Vermont Humanities | June 28, 2016
Jane Williamson presents the philosophies, strategies, and tactics of the 1830s abolitionists who demanded immediate emancipation of slaves and equal rights for free blacks.