Heroes


​​​​​​​Heroes 

Announcing the Participants

There were many people, known and unknown,  that participated in the Underground Railroad. They put their safety, families and fortunes at risk to stand up for other's life, liberty and pursuit of happiness. They were true American HEROES!

          Heroes of the Underground Railroad ~ Kentucky Educational                                 Television~ February 2016

Sojourner Truth~ History.com ~ 2021

 “inspired by her conversations with God, which she held alone in the woods,” Sojourner Truth escaped to freedom in 1826 with her young daughter, Sophia. While Dumont accused her of running away, she stated bodly, “I did not run away, I walked away by daylight.”

Abolitionist Isaac Hopper

Kean Collection/Getty Images

Isaac Hopper organized a safe network. He had informants to keep him updated on fugitive slave hunters plans. 

Abolitionist John Brown, c. 1846

GraphicaArtis/Getty Images

John Brown housed runaway slaves in his home and created an anti-slave militia that would eventually end at Harper's Ferry, Virginia.  ​​​​​​​

Thomas Garrett

The New York Public Library

Thomas Garrett was a stationmaster that had said he helped ove 2750 slaves escapted prior to the Civil War.

William Still

Hulton Archive/Getty Images

William Still was born free in Pennsylvania and worked with the Vigilance Committee of the Pennsylvania Abolition Society for escaped slaves needs once they reached there. 

The Underground Railroad~ painted by Charles T. Webber ~

Bettmann Archive/Getty Images

Levi Coffin was considered the "President of the Underground Railroad" for being the first acknowledged stationmaster in Indiana. 

Robert Purvis ~ Abolitionist ~ PhillyJazz website

William Whipper ~circa 1870 ~The Library Company of Philadelphia

William Whipper Marker ~ The Library of Philadelphia

Laura Smith Haviland ~ circa 1879

CREDIT WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

“Laura Haviland was an incredible woman, and she is someone who faced daunting challenges that you and I - I don’t think, could ever imagine,”

~ Tiya Miles: chair of the Department of African-American Studies at the University of Michigan; National Underground Railroad Conference in Detroit 

"For me, seeing our history told in this light, the ones who did rebel, the ones who did revolt, the revolutionaries, excited me. Seeing this story of the Underground Railroad ... and that is such a proud part of our history that not a lot of us know about, where these brave men and women, they were heroes, really helped tear down the system of slavery just by running."

Jurnee Smollett

Expression of Impact

The impact of the Underground Railroad can not be narrowed down to just one thing. The impacts included communicating the ugly truth of slavery and white supremacy, educating others that African Americans could organize without help and a complex, secret communication system that worked. The biggest impact was seeing how men and women of different races could work together for a common goal without discrimination or prejudice toward one another. Today groups like the Black Panther Party, Black Lives Matter movement and at Standing Rock continue the theme of education and people from all color working together for equality and freedom.

STATIONS
OPPOSITION