Underground Railroad: The William Still Story
Official Trailer
Preview | 30s
This is the story of a man who risked his life shepherding runaway slaves to freedom.
Underground Railroad: The William Still Story is the story of a humble Philadelphia clerk who risked his life shepherding runaway slaves to freedom in the tumultuous years leading up to America's Civil War. William Still was the director of a complex network of abolitionists, sympathizers and safe houses that stretched from Philadelphia to what is now Southern Ontario.
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Underground Railroad: The William Still Story is made possible by CN Railway, the Rogers Cable Network, Canada Media Fund, The Rogers Documentary Fund, and by The Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
Underground Railroad: The William Still Story
Official Trailer
Preview | 30s
Underground Railroad: The William Still Story is the story of a humble Philadelphia clerk who risked his life shepherding runaway slaves to freedom in the tumultuous years leading up to America's Civil War. William Still was the director of a complex network of abolitionists, sympathizers and safe houses that stretched from Philadelphia to what is now Southern Ontario.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
Where to Watch Underground Railroad: The William Still Story
Underground Railroad: The William Still Story is available to stream on pbs.org and the PBS app.
Now PlayingPreview | 30s | This is the story of a man who risked his life shepherding runaway slaves to freedom. (30s)
William Still's Place in History
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Clip | 2m 18s | William Still earned the name "The Father of the Underground Railroad". (2m 18s)
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Clip | 3m 16s | In the 1850s many Americans believed that slaves were incapable of surviving on their own. (3m 16s)
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Clip | 1m 46s | Slaves who ran away from their masters and were re-captured suffered terrible punishments. (1m 46s)
Origin of the name Underground Railroad
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Clip | 1m 19s | Historians have never been able to pin down how the Underground Railroad got its name. (1m 19s)
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Clip | 2m 27s | Well-known Negro Spirituals of the mid-1800s are much more complex than they first appear. (2m 27s)
Sydney Still's Run for Freedom
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Clip | 3m 15s | Program Segment for PBS Learning Media (3m 15s)
The Fugitive Slave Act Classroom Segment
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Clip | 2m 45s | Program segment for PBS Learning Media (2m 45s)
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Clip | 5m 26s | Program segment for PBS Learning Media. (5m 26s)
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Clip | 1m 18s | Program segment for PBS Learning Media. (1m 18s)
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Clip | 2m 15s | The Fugitive Slave Act was an attempt by the government to appease southern slave states. (2m 15s)
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Underground Railroad: The William Still Story is made possible by CN Railway, the Rogers Cable Network, Canada Media Fund, The Rogers Documentary Fund, and by The Corporation for Public Broadcasting.