William Still

author

William Still

1821–1902

A fearless abolitionist, writer, and community leader, he helped hundreds of enslaved people escape to freedom and preserved their stories for history. His work made him one of the most important figures of the Underground Railroad in Philadelphia.

1 Audiobook

The Underground Railroad A Record of Facts, Authentic Narratives, Letters, &c., Narrating the Hardships, Hair-Breadth Escapes and Death Struggles of the Slaves in Their Efforts for Freedom, As Related by Themselves and Others, or Witnessed by the Author.

The Underground Railroad A Record of Facts, Authentic Narratives, Letters, &c., Narrating the Hardships, Hair-Breadth Escapes and Death Struggles of the Slaves in Their Efforts for Freedom, As Related by Themselves and Others, or Witnessed by the Author.

by William Still

About the author

Born in New Jersey in 1821 to parents who had escaped slavery, William Still became a leading Black abolitionist in Philadelphia. He worked with the Pennsylvania Anti-Slavery Society and played a central role in the Underground Railroad, helping at least hundreds of freedom seekers as they moved north.

Still is especially remembered for the careful records he kept of the people he assisted. After the Civil War, he used those materials to write The Underground Rail Road (1872), a major firsthand account that helped preserve stories that might otherwise have been lost.

He was also active as a businessman and civil rights advocate, pushing for equal treatment for Black Americans in public life. Today, he is widely honored as an essential chronicler of the Underground Railroad and a determined voice for freedom.