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Underground Railroad
A Pathfinder for Students
by Nancy Finch, Librarian
"The Underground Railroad was neither underground nor was it a railroad:
it was a loosely organized secret network of people who helped slaves to
escape and travel to freedom. It was established in the United States around
the time of the American Revolution and was called the Underground Railroad
because, as one man put it, escaping slaves seemed to vanish 'as if on an
underground track into the earth.'"
The runaways followed different paths—usually north to Canada, but sometimes south to Mexico and the Caribbean. Running away took considerable courage, as those who were recaptured faced brutal punishment.
The following resources may help you in your research on the Underground Railroad.
Encyclopedias
Books & Music
Databases
Websites
Program & Events
Local Resources
Encyclopedias will give you an overview of your topic.
You can check your library for encyclopedias or use the following link for an online article.
Donald, David Herbert.
"The Underground Railroad."
World Book Online Reference Center. 2005. World Book, Inc. 20 Sept. 2005
Here are a few of the many books which have been written about the Underground Railroad. By using the suggested Dewey Decimal numbers or “Keywords and Phrases” you can search the catalog or the shelves for more materials.
The following phrases will help you find additional materials in our online catalog or on the internet.
Fugitive slaves-Juvenile
Harriet Tubman
Levi Coffin
Slavery
Spirituals
Underground Railroad
Bright Freedom's Song: A Story of the Underground Railroad
by Gloria Houston
In the years before the Civil War, Bright discovers that her parents are providing a safehouse for the Underground Railroad and helps to save a runaway slave named Marcus.
Dear Austin: Letters from the Underground Railroad
by Elvira Woodruff
In 1853, in letters to his older brother, eleven-year-old Levi describes his adventures in the Pennsylvania countryside with his black friend Jupiter and his experiences with the Underground Railroad.
Follow the Drinking Gourd
story and pictures by Jeanette Winter
By following the directions in a song, runaway slaves journey north along the Underground Railroad to freedom in Canada.
Following Freedom's Star: The Story of the Underground Railroad
by James Haskins and Kathleen Benson
(Great Journeys series)
Freedom River
by Doreen Rappaport
illustrated by Bryan Collier
Describes an incident in the life of John Parker, an ex-slave who became a successful businessman in Ripley, Ohio, and who repeatedly risked his life to help other slaves escape to freedom.
Freedom's Wings: Corey's Diary
by Sharon Dennis Wyeth
(My America series)
A nine-year-old slave keeps a diary of his journey to freedom along the Underground Railroad in 1857.
Freedom Roads: Searching for the Underground Railroad
by Joyce Hansen and Gary McGowan
illustrations by James Ransome
Describes how authors find information on the Underground Railroad and the story of the slaves' routes to freedom.
A Good Night for Freedom
by Barbara Olenhik Morrow
illustrated by Leonard Jenkins
Hallie discovers two runaway slaves hiding in Levi Coffin's home and must decide whether to turn them in or help them escape to freedom.
Harriet Tubman
by George Sullivan
(In Their Own Words series)
Using primary sources, this biography describes the life of a former slave who helped many others escape slavery.
Henry's Freedom Box: A True Story from the Underground Railroad
by Ellen Levine
A fictionalized account of how in 1849 a Virginia slave, Henry "Box" Brown,
escapes to freedom by shipping himself in a wooden crate from Richmond
to Philadelphia.
Just
Listen to This Song I'm Singing: African-American History Through Song
by Jerry Silverman
Uses the music and lyrics of thirteen Afro-American songs to relate history.
The Last Safe House: A Story of the Underground Railroad
by Barbara Greenwood
illustrated by Heather Collins
The story of a family in Canada who help slaves escape through the Underground Railroad.
Liberty Street
by Candice Ransom
illustrations by Eric Velasquez
Young Kezia is a slave, living in nineteenth-century Fredericksburg, Virginia, until her mother helps her escape.
The Patchwork Path: A Quilt Map to Freedom
by Bettye Stroud
While her father leads her toward Canada and away from the plantation where they have been slaves, a young girl thinks of the quilt her mother used to teach her a code that will help guide them to freedom.
The Secret to Freedom
by Marcia K. Vaughan
illustrated by Larry Johnson
Great Aunt Lucy tells a story of her days as a slave, when she and her brother learned the quilt code to help direct other slaves to freedom.
Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt
by Deborah Hopkinson
paintings by James Ransome
A young slave stitches a quilt with a map pattern which guides her to freedom in the North.
Under the Quilt of Night
by Deborah Hopkinson
illustrated by James Ransome
A young girl flees from the farm where she has been worked as a slave and uses
the Underground Railroad to escape to freedom in the north.
When Harriet Met Sojourner
by Catherine Clinton
illustrated by Shane W. Evans
This biography of two powerful civil rights leaders imagines what may have happened during their encounter in Boston in 1864.
Music
Steal Away: Songs of the Underground Railroad
by Kim and Reggie Harris
For articles about the Underground Railroad, see OCPL’s Online Databases. Here you can access magazine and journal articles, newspapers, and reference books 24 hours a day using your OCPL library card and PIN.
The African American History & Culture database provides information, including articles, maps, timelines, biographies, and data on more than 500 years of Afro-American history and culture.
If you have difficulty accessing these databases, please check the troubleshooting tips.
For in-library use of the online databases, please see a librarian.
There are many excellent websites associated with the Underground Railroad. The following links will provide you with photos, maps, articles, music, and stories on this topic.
Aboard the Underground Railroad
Introduces you through photos and stories to the fascinating places and people associated with the UGRR.
Listen to some of the songs that helped slaves escape to the north.
Scroll down and click on “Listen to the Show” at Classics for Kids.
A second-grade class has created an informative website about Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad.
The Levi Coffin House, now a museum, was a part of the Underground Railroad for fleeing slaves. This brick home was built in 1839 by Levi and Catharine Coffin who were legendary in helping many slaves escape to freedom. Levi is often referred to as the President of the Underground Railroad.
In Mrs. Mitchell's Virtual School you can click the Underground Railroad heading under Social Studies to find lots of helpful resources.
Take a National Geographic’s virtual journey on the UGRR by clicking “Yes” on this interactive children’s website:
The Underground Railroad.
Check OCPL's Events Calendar for programs on this topic especially during February, which is Black History month.
The Onondaga Historical Association has a permanent exhibit entitled: Freedom Bound: Syracuse and the Underground Railroad which includes a video drama of the Jerry Rescue. See the web page for details of museum location and hours.