From Freedom Seeker to American Success: James L. Smith in Norwich

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 bought a house on School Street in 1845 and worked downtown as a shoemaker. His 1881 autobiography remains an important first hand account of the era. This virtual look at Smith's life explores the multi-faceted nature of his story and touches upon slavery, racial issues, education, political history, and religion. Smith is a powerful and inspirational example of how an enslaved individual traveled north for his freedom and how settling in Norwich, Connecticut changed his life. To view this video with captions, click on the box with letters CC from the onscreen menu.