Methodist Underground Railroad

During the Age of Reform in New Jersey, the African Methodist Episcopal Church as well as black and white citizens established an unofficial Underground Railroad to facilitate fugitives with escape routes and safe houses (Thesis). During the time period before the Civil War, tensions were rising between abolitionists and slave owners. The free African-American community, whether it’s Quakers, or members of the AME Church, wanted to end slavery and help slaves escape from their cruel and abusive masters. Some members of the white community were also against slavery, including Quakers and other Christian religious groups.

Doctor John Grimes and the Grimes family were Quakers and active members of the anti-slavery movement. Grimes owned a house in Boonton that he used to provide safety for runaway slaves, called the Grimes Homestead. New Jersey citizens were split on the issue of slavery. Some New Jerseyans were understanding toward owners of slaves because owning a plantation would be expensive without them, and others believed that it was morally wrong and against

It offered refuge to runaway slaves on their way north. This included Harriet Tubman, a famous African-American abolitionist and Underground Railroad conductor, from 1849 to 1853. Before this, at the original Methodist Episcopal Church both White and African-American abolitionists worshipped at this church and were active members of the anti-slavery movement. But eventually white slaveowners joined the church and the African-American members of the church didn’t feel accepted, so in response to this the African-American community founded their own church that was more accepting to blacks, called the African Methodist Episcopal Church. This church helped a great number of slaves escape their masters during this