Gerrit Smith: Reform Operative

Gerrit Smith: Reform Operative. . “The history of the most important half century of our national life will be imperfectly written if it fails to place Gerrit Smith in the front rank of the men whose influence was most felt in the accomplishment of its results.” , New York Times, Volume XXIV No. 7265 December 29, 1874 , 1780s John Jacob Astor and Peter Smith were partners in New York fur trade. , 1789 Peter Smith settled in Old Fort Schuyler (Utica) NY. , 1790s Peter Smith and Chief Skenandoah were friends and land traders. , 1797 Gerrit Smith born in Utica, March 6. , 1804 Peter Smith built a land office and mansion in Peterboro. , 1818 Gerrit Smith graduated from Hamilton College in Clinton, NY. , 1827 Gerrit Smith donated $10,000 to American Colonization Society. , 1833 Gerrit Smith financially supported Beriah Green’s Oneida Institute in Whitesboro, the first interracial college in N.Y.S. , 1834 Gerrit Smith established a Manual Labor School for black males in Peterboro, NY. , 1834 Smithfield Antislavery Society Meeting in Peterboro organized by students at Manual Labor School. , 1835 New York State Antislavery Society held inaugural meeting in Peterboro, NY. , 1836 Gerrit Smith was President of the New York State Antislavery Society. , 1839 $200 reward for Harriet Powell, escapee from slavery; Syracuse to Marcellus to Lebanon to Peterboro, NY. , 1839 Gerrit Smith donated 21,000 acres of land and $2,000 to abolitionist Oberlin College Ohio. , 1839 James G. Birney, Myron Holley, Gerrit Smith, and Alvan Stewart, established Liberty Party for sole purpose of abolition. , 1840 Gerrit Smith’s brother-in-law James G. Birney candidate for President of the United States on the Liberty ticket. , 1840 James Caleb Jackson of Peterboro became secretary of the American Anti-Slavery Society and began editing 4 antislavery journals. , 1840 Gerrit Smith candidate for Governor of New York (Liberty Party). , 1841 Gerrit Smith’s agent James Fuller negotiated freedom for seven members of Harriet Russell’s family. , 1841 Freed woman Harriet Russell began management of Gerrit Smith estate laundry. , 1842 Liberty Party Convention in Peterboro, NY. , 1842 Gerrit Smith candidate for Governor of New York (Liberty Party). , 1842 New York State Anti-Slavery Society held convention at Baptist Church in Peterboro. , 1843 Ann and Gerrit Smith established the Free Church of Peterboro. , 1844 James G. Birney was Liberty Party candidate for U.S. Presidency. , 1846 Gerrit Smith gave 120,000 acres in the Adirondacks to free black males to meet NYS’s requirements for blacks to vote. , 1848 John Brown made first trip to visit Gerrit Smith at Peterboro, NY. , 1848 Gerrit Smith was candidate for U.S. President (Liberty Party, Liberty League, Industrial Congress). , 1850 Frederick Douglas and Gerrit Smith organized a convention in Cazenovia, NY, to protest the Fugitive Slave Bill. Gerrit Smith’s letter to the slaves maintained that slaves must do all that is necessary to get free. , 1850 William G. Allen, deeded land in Peterboro by Smith, joined faculty of integrated NY Central College in McGrawville, NY. , 1851 Gerrit Smith (Peterboro), Rev. Samuel J. May (Syracuse), Rev. Jermain W. Laguen (Syracuse) and Charles Merrick rescued William Henry from jail in Syracuse and transported him to Canada. , 1852 Gerrit Smith was candidate for U.S. President (Liberty League). , 1852 Gerrit Smith elected to U.S. Congress as an Independent. , 1853 Gerrit Smith gave Oswego, NY $25,000 to found a library with stipulation for integrated use. , 1856 Gerrit Smith was candidate for U.S. President. , 1858 Gerrit Smith bought floundering New York Central College in McGrawville, NY and gave it back. , 1858 Gerrit Smith candidate for Governor of New York (People’s State) ticket. , 1860 Gerrit Smith was candidate for U.S. President (National Abolition Party). , 1874 Gerrit Smith died. , 1936 Gerrit Smith Mansion burned March 2. (Estate later divided into three parcels). , 1965 Citizens purchased and donated Land Office to Town of Smithfield. , 1984 Gerrit Smith Estate place and on National and State Register of Historic Places. , 1994 Citizens buy two acres surrounding Land Office. , 1998 Governor’s Commission Honoring Women erect Elizabeth Smith Miller Bloomer sign. , 2001 Secretary of Interior declares Gerrit Smith Estate a National Historic Landmark. , 2002 National Park Service designates estate as a Network to Freedom Site. (National Underground Railroad Site) , 2004 Gerrit Smith Estate designated site of the Heritage NY UGRR Trail. , 2005 Smithfield Community Association assembled Stewards of National Historic Landmark. , 2006 Smithfield Community Association bought second parcel of Gerrit Smith Estate. , 2007 Smithfield Community Association received third parcel of estate, restoring original properties to estate. , 2010 Exhibits installed by Underground Railroad Heritage Trail, NYS Office of Parks, Recreation, Historic Preservation Program. , Peterboro citizens were used to seeing fugitive slaves around the hamlet as the freedom seekers worked their way north on the Underground Railroad. , Peterboro had become a crossroads for intercultural harmony as a result of Gerrit Smith’s incessant local persuasive and exemplary efforts. Smith’s fervent hope was that this local model would be seen as an example to other localities, states, and the nation regarding what could be accomplished by an enlightened citizenry.