The period leading up to the civil war in America was full of racism and hatred of African Americans. Eric Foner, the author of Gateway to Freedom, shows how brutally the African Americans were treated during this time and the steps these men took to overcome the prejudice brought upon them. As the harsh treatment of Blacks in the south increased, more safe havens emerged throughout the north. New York City was one of the largest cities to help runaway slaves escape the persecution those slaves faced in the south. New York City helped to grow the newly emerging culture of the free black man in America. Even in a city that helped the African American community, its general population still had deep ties to the racist culture of the 19th century.
