Second Friday Lecture: New Philadelphia, Illinois: Seven Ways to Freedom

Friday, May 9  |  12pm – 1pm  |  Presented by Dr. Kate Williams-McWorter and Dr. Gerald McWorter

From a distance, New Philadelphia looked like a typical Illinois pioneer town of the mid-1800s. But New Philadelphia was not a typical pioneer town. As travelers got closer, they would find a small but bustling community where Black and White villagers lived and worked side by side. For formerly enslaved Free Frank McWorter, the town meant new beginnings and an opportunity to free family members enslaved in Kentucky. New Philadelphia, which he founded in 1836, is the first U.S. town platted and registered by an African American.

Gerald McWorter and Kate Williams-McWorter’s presentation will tell the story of this unique central Illinois town from its inception to its recognition at the United States’ 424th National Park in December 2022.