In July and August, the African American Museum of Bucks County, (AAMBC,) with the Pennsbury School District, conducted bus tours of sites throughout Lower Bucks County that served as weigh-stations and hiding places along the Underground Railroad.
The tours visited the following key sites: The Bensalem AME Church, the Bethel AME Church in Langhorne, (founded in 1807,) the Harriet Tubman statue and homes along Radcliffe Street in Bristol, and The Continental Tavern in Yardley.
The tours explored the plight of those enslaved as they made their dangerous escape from servitude, and the key role played by the AME churches, Quakers, and other abolitionists in Bucks County.
Ultimately, the tour described how freed Blacks were able to escape to safe havens in New York and Nova Scotia, while some freed Blacks stayed and built their communities here in Bucks County.
According to Linda Salley, president of the AAMBC, “The AAMBC’s mission is to tell the untold stories and reveal hidden figures right here in Bucks County to our citizens as well as visitors. We were particularly pleased to share this history with Pennsbury teachers and administrators, as they are responsible for educating our children, who represent the future of our country.”
Dr. Cherrissa Gibson, director of Human Resources, Professional Development, and Equity for Pennsbury said, “We recognize that local history is important for our students and their families, and the AAMBC can teach us a lot about the key role that people in Bucks County played in American history.”
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