The Underground Railroad

Web Sites

National Geographic Online Presents The Underground Railroad* - http://www.nationalgeographic.com/features/99/railroad
This beautifully crafted web site could be a good starting point for all
 students but has a limited amount of text on each page. Students take a guided tour in the role of a slave who has to make a decision about whether to attempt escape via the Underground Railroad or stay. Highlighted keywords along the way explain concepts and code words used. Included are thumbnail biographies of many key black figures in the movement such as William Still and Josiah Henson.

The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center*
http://www.undergroundrailroad.org
Another Ohio-based site, whose mission is to educate people on enslavement everywhere and to create a one-stop information center.  Students should click on the 'Slavery Past' tab to view time lines, short biographies, and maps of Underground routes. Although not a lot of background information is available here, an extensive biography section is the site’s strong point.

Africans In America* - http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/home.html
This web site is a companion to a PBS television series of the same name; however, the site stands alone in its depth of content, a result of extensive research for the series. From the homepage, choose the fourth time frame, 'Judgement Day,' for an extensive reading of the three decades leading up to the Civil War and that culminating conflict.  Though attractive, this site can be confusing when trying to find a specific topic unless a search is undertaken; the search link is at the bottom of the screen. A simple search for 'Underground Railroad' will take you to a long list of possibilities; choose the first result, 'Underground Railroad,' and read the first page for a good general overview. 'Related Entries' at the bottom of each page will take you as far as you want to go.

Library Of Congress—American Memory* - http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/ammemhome.html
The American Memory web site from the Library of Congress (LC) is an amazing collection of primary source material for the serious-minded student. This digital library has access to more than 100 historical collections. This means that if you can’t hop over to LC’s Rare Book Room to see William Still’s The Underground Railroad, published in 1879, you can read it here, in .tiff or .jpeg format facsimile. Available for viewing is Still’s  entire book, along with a transcription of the experiences of Laura Haviland, a supporter of the railroad, and many other documents. The site is fully searchable.
 

Biographies of Notable Personalities

Levi Coffin House* -
http://www.waynet.wayne.in.us/nonprofit/coffin.htm
Levi Coffin is often referred to as the 'President of the Underground Railroad.' His house, built in 1839, was specially fitted with  secret hiding places for slaves en route to freedom. The site has photographs of hiding places and hyperlinks to a list of further sources, many to those sites listed in this pathfinder as well as sites with further information on Coffin and the Quakers.

The Life Of Harriet Tubman* -
http://www.nyhistory.com/harriettubman/life.htm
This simple, straightforward page highlights her life in slavery, her escape to Canada, her role as a conductor on the Underground Railroad, and her later life in New York State.

Frederick Douglass* -
http://www.nps.gov/frdo/freddoug.html
This National Park Service site connected to the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site in Washington, DC, offers a brief biography, chronology, and links to other useful sites, including the full text of Douglass’s autobiography.
 

Print Sources

World Book Encyclopedia and Encyclopedia Americana are both good first stops for general information ("Underground Railroad").

Bound for the North Star: True Stories of Fugitive Slaves - 920 FRA
Retells the true-life stories of the escapes of slaves such as Henry 'Box' Brown, John Anderson, and Harriet Tubman.  Includes reproductions of handbills and posters.

Underground Railroad in American history - 973.7 SAW
Describes the Underground Railroad and the historical events surrounding it and presents the stories of some of its conductors.

On Kansas trails : traveling with explorers, emigrants, and entrepreneurs - 978.1 OnK
Includes information on the Underground Railroad in Kansas.
 

Biographies

Frederick Douglass
Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass, an American slave.   921 DOU
Douglass recalls his twenty-one years as an American slave.  He details his involvement in many activities which helped the Negro cause.

Harriet Tubman
Harriett Tubman : conductor on the Underground Railroad - 921 TUB
The story of slavery in the US as exemplified by the biography of Harriet Tubman who was born a slave but escaped through the Underground Railroad.  She went back for others until she had helped three hundred of her people to freedom.  She became a legend feared by every plantation owner.
 
 

*Indicates sites reviewed by Carol Marshall, Children's Librarian, Bridgeport Public Library, Bridgeport CT, in the Fall 2001 issue of netConnect , pp 29-30.
(http://slj.reviewsnews.com/index.asp?layout=netconnectTOC&pubdate=11/1/01)
 

WHS Library home page.