Document Type
Thesis
Date of Award
10-2025
School/College
College of Liberal Arts and Behavioral Sciences (COLABS)
Degree Name
MA in History
Committee Chairperson
Dr. Jesse Esparza
Committee Member 1
Dr. Karen Kossie-Chernyshev
Committee Member 2
Dr. Nupur Chaudhuri
Abstract
When most people think of the Underground Railroad, they often picture brave individuals escaping the slave-owning South, seeking safety in the northern United States or Canada. However, it's essential to recognize that the fight for freedom went far beyond those regions. In 1830, Mexico abolished slavery, leading many escapees from enslaved areas across the United States. With freedom just a few miles away, hundreds of American slaves established several secretive and advanced routes into Mexico’s northern states, settling in newly founded free black colonies like San Lorenzo de los Negros and El Nacimiento de los Negros, among others. Using data from various archival facilities, including Texas Southern University, Stephen F. Austin State University, the Lone Star Slavery Project, and the Florida Department of State, this thesis project, titled “Beyond the North Star: The Southward Flight of Enslaved People to Mexico, 1640–1845,” aims to tell the little-known story of Mexico’s role in resisting slavery.
Copyright
Copyright © for this work is retained by the author. Any documents and information presented are protected by copyright under US Copyright laws and are the property of the author. All Rights Reserved. For permission to use this content please contact the author or the Graduate School at Texas Southern University ([email protected]).
Recommended Citation
Gonzalez, Kayro, "Beyond The North Star: The Southward Flight Of Enslaved People to Mexico" (2025). Theses (2016-Present). 89.
https://digitalscholarship.tsu.edu/theses/89