William Still
William Still (1821-1902) was an African American abolitionist, businessman, and historian known as the "Father of the Underground Railroad" for his leadership of Philadelphia's freedom network during the 1850s. Born free in New Jersey to formerly enslaved parents, Still moved to Philadelphia in 1844 and became a clerk at the Pennsylvania Anti-Slavery Society, where he coordinated assistance to freedom seekers escaping from slavery in the South. Over the course of his career, Still personally assisted an estimated 800 enslaved people in their escape to freedom, meticulously documenting their stories and circumstances. His 1872 book, "The Underground Railroad: A Record of Facts, Authentic Narratives, Letters, &c.," remains the most comprehensive primary source on the Underground Railroad and has been invaluable to historians seeking to understand this clandestine network. Beyond his anti-slavery work, Still became a successful businessman, civil rights advocate, and community leader who fought for racial equality in Philadelphia for decades after emancipation.[1]
Early Life
[edit | edit source]William Still was born on October 7, 1821, in Shamong Township, Burlington County, New Jersey. His father, Levin Steel, had been born into slavery in Maryland but had purchased his freedom and moved north, changing his surname to Still. His mother, Sidney (née Levin), had escaped from slavery in Maryland, leaving two children behind in bondage. This family history of slavery and escape profoundly shaped William's commitment to helping others achieve freedom. Growing up in rural New Jersey with limited educational opportunities, Still was largely self-taught, developing the literacy and organizational skills that would later prove essential to his work. The family's poverty meant that young William worked on farms from an early age, but his ambition drove him toward the city and larger opportunities.[2]
In 1844, at age 23, Still moved to Philadelphia seeking better prospects. He found work initially as a domestic servant and handyman before being hired as a mail clerk at the Pennsylvania Anti-Slavery Society in 1847. His intelligence, reliability, and commitment to the cause quickly led to greater responsibilities. Still became the Society's corresponding secretary and chairman of its vigilance committee, positions that placed him at the center of Philadelphia's network for assisting escaped slaves. His office on North Fifth Street became a hub where freedom seekers arriving in Philadelphia could receive assistance, information, and safe passage to the next station on their journey north.[3]
Underground Railroad Work
[edit | edit source]Still's role in the Underground Railroad combined organizational leadership with direct assistance to freedom seekers. When escaped slaves arrived in Philadelphia—often exhausted, hungry, and terrified of recapture—Still was frequently the first person they met. He interviewed each arrival carefully, recording their names, their enslaver's names, the circumstances of their escape, and other biographical details. This documentation served multiple purposes: it could help reunite separated families, it provided evidence of slavery's cruelties, and it preserved the stories of people whose lives might otherwise have been lost to history. Still took security precautions to protect his records, but he preserved enough to compile his monumental post-war book.[3]
The work was dangerous. The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 strengthened slaveholders' ability to pursue escapees into free states, making anyone who assisted them liable to severe penalties. Slave catchers regularly visited Philadelphia, sometimes kidnapping free Black residents to sell into slavery. Still developed elaborate security measures, using coded communications, trusted couriers, and a network of safe houses throughout the city and its suburbs. He worked closely with other abolitionists including Robert Purvis, Harriet Tubman, and the Quaker communities of Germantown and Chester County. His calm competence under pressure and his ability to coordinate complex operations made him indispensable to the network's functioning.[1]
Personal Revelation
[edit | edit source]One of the most dramatic episodes in Still's career came in August 1850, when he interviewed an escaped slave named Peter Friedman who had made his way to Philadelphia from Alabama. As Still recorded the man's story, he realized with astonishment that Peter was his own brother—one of the children his mother had been forced to leave behind when she escaped from Maryland some 40 years earlier. The siblings had never known each other, and their mother had feared her lost children dead. The reunion of the family—made possible by Still's position in the Underground Railroad—underscored the human dimensions of slavery's cruelty and the determination of the enslaved to reconnect with their families. The story became widely known and added to Still's reputation as a symbol of the Underground Railroad's work.[2]
Post-War Career
[edit | edit source]After the Civil War and the abolition of slavery, Still transitioned from abolitionist activism to business and community leadership. He opened a successful coal yard and became a prosperous businessman, demonstrating the capabilities that slavery had suppressed in millions of African Americans. He used his wealth and influence to support civil rights causes, including the campaign to desegregate Philadelphia's streetcars, which succeeded in 1867. He served on the boards of numerous organizations including homes for the aged, orphanages, and the Freedmen's Aid Society. His 1872 publication of "The Underground Railroad" preserved the stories of hundreds of freedom seekers and established his historical reputation.[3]
Still continued to advocate for racial equality and civil rights throughout his later life. He helped establish the first YMCA for Black youth in the nation and supported educational opportunities for African Americans. His home in Philadelphia became a gathering place for Black activists and community leaders. Still died on July 14, 1902, at the age of 80, having lived to see both the triumph of emancipation and the tragic retreat from Reconstruction that left African Americans facing new forms of oppression. His legacy endured through his book and through the institutions he helped establish, reminding subsequent generations of the courage required to challenge injustice.[1]
Legacy
[edit | edit source]William Still's documentation of the Underground Railroad provides an irreplaceable historical record. Unlike most aspects of this secret network, which left few written traces, Still's records preserve the names, stories, and circumstances of hundreds of freedom seekers. His book has been essential to historians seeking to understand the Underground Railroad's operations and has informed countless books, films, and educational programs. Still's grave in Eden Cemetery in Delaware County is a site of pilgrimage for those honoring the history of the freedom movement. His legacy is also honored in Philadelphia through historical markers, educational programs, and the William Still Interpretive Center, which interprets his life and work for contemporary visitors.[4]
See Also
[edit | edit source]- Underground Railroad in Philadelphia
- Abolition Movement in Philadelphia
- Free Black Community
- Philadelphia Anti-Slavery Society