So many slaves escaped into freedom… that the slave owners said there must be an underground railroad under the Ohio River and on to the North.--Col. William Cockrum, Abolitionist, 1854
It was America's first civil rights movement, a loose network of diverse people bound together by conscience, determined to undo the institution of slavery one person at a time. "Conductors" risked fines and imprisonment in their devotion to the cause of freedom; "passengers" risked their lives.
Hosted by Alfre Woodard (Passion Fish, Crooklyn) Underground Railroad traces the journey to freedom taken by countless slaves, showing how they were guided, protected, and pursued along the way. The extraordinary story is told through historical documents, visits to important sites, interviews with the descendants of noted abolitionists and commentary from experts like Ed Rigand, the President of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center.