The Underground Rail Road. 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 Resurrection of Henry Box Brown

In 1872, William Still published this unprecedented account of the individuals he encountered during his fourteen years of work on the Underground Railroad. Its pages reveal the diversity of escape experiences; men, women, children, and families arrived in Philadelphia from all over the South traveling sometimes by ingenious and risky means and always with dogged determination, resilience, and courage. The book’s publication drew postbellum readers into the drama of the Underground Railroad, portrayed the personal impact of slavery on men, women, and families, and provided a model of interracial cooperation among the abolitionist network introduced in the book.

The story of Henry “Box” Brown (c.1816- c.1889) was celebrated for his ingenious escape from slavery. Brown shipped himself from Virginia to the Philadelphia Anti-Slavery Office in a sealed crate. After a 27-hour journey, Brown arrived safely in Philadelphia to the great surprise of abolitionist William Still and his colleagues. Later, Brown spent some time in Boston where he met with the New England Anti-Slavery Society, sponsored a panorama show called “The Mirror of Slavery,” and lectured on the anti-slavery circuit before moving to England, and ultimately Canada. Henry Box Brown also published his own best-selling account of his extraordinary Underground Railroad escape.