Black Communities in the Adirondacks | Searching for Timbuctoo

Between 1821 and 1870, Black men had to own at least $250 worth of property to be eligible to vote in New York State. Frustrated by this lack of equality before the law and the persistent racism of the country, reformer Gerrit Smith, one of the wealthiest landowners in New York State, came up with a plan to distribute small plots of land to Black men in the hopes that they would soon earn the ability to vote. Students will learn about the Adirondack settlement in North Elba also known as “Timbuctoo.”

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