Seward House Museum - Northeast African American Historic Places Map (sitios de interés)
Descripción del sitio
| 33 South Street | Auburn, NY 13021 | | ||
About: Although best known for his later work (1861-1869) as U.S. secretary of state to Presidents Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson, William Henry Seward was recognized as an abolitionist leader during his two-terms as governor of New York (1839-1843) and as a two-term U.S. senator. As senator (1849-1861) Seward led the abolitionist branch of the Whig Party and helped to shape the national debate on slavery in the years prior to the Civil War. His home in Auburn was one of several centers for Underground Railroad activity in Cayuga County.
The present day Seward House was built in 1816 by Judge Elijah Miller. William Henry Seward married Judge Miller’s daughter, Frances, in 1824, with the stipulation that they live with the judge in Miller’s home. Frances Miller Seward, a devout Episcopalian, was educated in Quaker schools and cared deeply for the abolition of slavery. While her husband served in Washington, DC throughout the 1850s and 1860s, Mrs. Seward oversaw the care of the Auburn home, sheltered fugitives and provided some educational opportunities for African Americans. The Sewards offered seven acres of farmland near Auburn to Harriet Tubman as a permanent home and were her strong supporters.
 Sewerd HousePhotos and text courtesy Sewerd Housel Museum |
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