Backyard History

In New Video, John Chapman Discusses Alexandria’s Connection to the Underground Railroad

Manumission Tour Company Owner John Chapman (Photo: Chris Cruz for Visit Alexandria)

ALEXANDRIA, VA-As the celebration of Black History Month continues, Travel + Leisure magazine  has produced a new video highlighting the Underground Railroad. The video, part of the “Walk with Travel + Leisure” series, features John Chapman, the owner of Manumission Tour Company in Alexandria.

In nearly eight minutes of footage, Chapman tells four stories of the Underground Railroad that relate to people who were enslaved in Alexandria. Many involve abolitionist William Still. Chapman even talks about a “slight connection” to the famous Harriett Tubman, who conducted most of her work in Dorchester County, Maryland.

The Underground Railroad was a vast network of people and places that helped enslaved individuals and families to freedom in Canada. One of its stops included Still’s house in Philadelphia, and he published a book in 1872 aptly titled “The Underground Railroad.”

Manumission Tour Company has a number of offerings for Black History Month. Learn more by visiting manumissiontours.com/book-online.

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Kevin Dauray

Kevin is Publisher's Assistant with The Zebra Press. He has been working for Alexandria's "Good News" newspaper since 2019. A graduate of George Mason University, he earned a bachelor's in English with a concentration in Creative Writing. He also studied at the Columbia School of Broadcasting and holds a master's degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Marymount University. He is an alumnus of T.C. Williams High School. Go Titans!

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