Richmond, Virginia, USA

As a border state between the north and the south, Virginia has had a very turbulent relationship with slavery. While the country was politically in favor of slavery as many businesses relied on free labor to survive, many of its citizens were secretly fighting to abolish slavery. This was the case for Elizabeth Van Lew who spent her inheritance on buying her slaves’ freedom, offered her home for the underground railroad and went to prisons to get information about the Confederate army to help the Union army’s efforts. While she was rejected by her contemporaries and called a witch for her efforts, it is the stories of strong-willed people like Elizabeth Van Lew that make this city truly worth the visit!

A special thanks to Lee Ann from the Richmond Tour Guys for sharing her passion about the city with us.

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