The Underground Railroad

Originally published in 1872 and out of print for many years, this landmark book presents firsthand accounts of slaves escaping north by way of the human support network known as the Underground Railroad. The narratives were painstakingly documented by William Still (1821-1902), a son of emancipated slaves who helped guide untold numbers of fugitives to safety as an Underground Railroad "conductor" based in Philadelphia.

The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 made William Still's work extremely risk…