The River

The River. . As a deep water tributary of the Chesapeake Bay, the Choptank River was a commercial artery of the Eastern Shore since colonial times. Cargoes of timber, tobacco, and farm harvests were hoisted by dockworkers to waiting ships. , During the early years of the slave trade, captive Africans were unloaded here too. Later, thousands of enslaved people were shipped from Long Wharf to plantations in the south., Ironically, the Choptank River also served as a route to Freedom, part of the Underground Railroad. Slaves fleeing on foot knew to follow the river's course north to its headwaters in Delaware. Some escapees hid aboard vessels, aided by Captains or crewmen willing to take the risk. Penalties for assisting runaways were steep., When suspected Underground Railroad Agent Hugh Hazlett arrived here from Denton to stand trial for assisting runaway slaves, his boat was met by an angry mob. Found guilty Hazlett received a sentence of 44 years in prison., Wharf , Photography Collection, Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs, the New York Public Library, Astor,Lenox and Tilden Foundation.