Origin of the name Underground Railroad

Historians have never been able to pin down how the Underground Railroad got its name.

Historians haven't been able to pin down how the Underground Railroad got its name. Many believe it was a slave-catcher who coined the term, when the runaway he was chasing seemed to just disappear as though he'd escaped on a mysterious underground rail line. But one thing is certain: the "railroad" that helped runaway slaves flee to the free states had nothing to do with steel rails.

AIR DATE 2/5/12

Slavery and Freedom

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Origin of the name Underground Railroad

Punishment

William Still's Place in History

Fugitive Slave Act

Sydney Still's Run for Freedom

Epilogue

Freedom's Land

The Fugitive Slave Act Classroom Segment

Origin of the name Underground Railroad

Punishment

About Underground Railroad: The William Still Story

This program tells the story of William Still, one of the most important yet unheralded individuals of the Underground Railroad. The film details the accounts of black abolitionists, who had everything at stake as they helped fugitives follow the North Star to Canada.

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