Tom’s antislavery research is widely recognized. He was awarded the 2008 Underground Railroad Free Press Prize for advancing the knowledge and study of the Underground Railroad. His research helped reveal the site of the Stephen and Harriet Myers Underground Railroad museum in Albany, N.Y., the rediscovery of the forgotten abolitionist Rev. Abel Brown, and brought to light many forgotten stories in the Adirondack region and South-Central Ohio.
The author of eight books on the history of the Underground Railroad, he has visited legendary UGRR sites across much of the U.S. and Canada. The objective of his study is to reveal the true picture of the UGRR and to shine a light on its compassionate nature when abolitionists considered themselves “as bound with” those in slavery and would not rest until the day of their deliverance.
He is available for lectures, presentations and tailored tours of the Underground Railroad for school groups.