The author was a remarkable individual often called "The Father of the Underground Railroad"

The author was a remarkable individual often called "The Father of the Underground Railroad". He was an abolitionist, historian, and also had a small coal business. He was born to ex-slaves in New Jersey. He is credited with helping hundreds of slaves (as many as 60 each month) escape to freedom. In fact, when he was helping one man, he discovered that it was his own brother, Peter Still, the two of them having been separated since childhood. He kept impeccable records about the people he helped, and he had in-depth knowledge of the routes, safe houses, and so forth in the underground network. Harriett Tubman generally stopped off at his home on her way north with freed slaves. This book documents the stories and escape methods of almost 650 individuals and the people who helped them. The plates include scenes of the harrowing escapes as well as portraits of notable individuals who worked tirelessly in the effort - some well known, such as Lucretia Mott and William Lloyd Garrison, and others much less widely known.