Harriet Tubman and Philadelphia Abolitionists: Mapping the Underground Railroad

Sun, 03 May 2026 03:48:00 +0200

Philadelphia played a pivotal role in the Underground Railroad, serving as a major destination for enslaved people seeking freedom before the Civil War. After Pennsylvania enacted the Act for the Gradual Abolition of Slavery in 1780, the city’s free Black population grew rapidly, establishing institutions like the Free African Society and the Mother Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church. By the 1830s, Philadelphia’s Black community, alongside white allies such as Quakers, actively coordinated escapes from slavery. The Underground Railroad, a secret network of safe houses and conductors, enabled people to travel north, often to Canada, in search of liberty. William Still, known as the “Father of the Underground Railroad,” documented hundreds of escape journeys, including detailed accounts of Harriet Tubman’s missions. Tubman repeatedly returned to Maryland to guide enslaved individuals to freedom, relying on her knowledge of geography and covert routes. Philadelphia’s proximity to t