Join Regan Miner, Executive Director of the Norwich Historical Society, Sandra Soucy, retired Social Studies teacher from the Norwich Free Academy and Norwich Historical Society Board Member, and Adam Bowles, Lead Pastor at Castle Church as they take a deep dive into James L. Smith’s life and explore the multi-faceted nature of this story of slavery, racial issues, education, political history, and religion.

Born on a Virginia plantation, Smith escaped slavery in 1838 with the help of Norwich’s David Ruggles, a “conductor” on the Underground Railroad in New York City. Smith came to Norwich, bought a house on School Street in 1845 and worked downtown as a shoemaker. Smith is a powerful and inspirational example of how an escaped slave traveled north for his freedom and how settling in Norwich, Connecticut changed his life. His 1881 autobiography remains an important first hand account of the era. This program is part of Conversations at Noon part of the Connecticut Freedom Trail and the Connecticut Democracy Center at Connecticut’s Old State House.

Register for FREE here: https://bit.ly/CFTLegacyJamesLSmith

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