Williams Still (PBS)

Millions of men, women, and children were forcibly separated from one another and purchased.  Some families never saw their loved ones again.  These enslaved people labored as field hands, worked as servants, and performed various other duties.  Enslaved persons were often beaten and whipped.  Many dreamed of a free life, but never saw that come to pass. Those who attempted to or did escape may have been caught and sent back into slavery.  

One man helped many fugitive slaves escape into Canada.  William Still risked his life helping runaways to freedom for many years before the Civil War. He served in the Underground Railroad for 14 years, helping almost 800 slaves escape.  Still kept records at the Philadelphia "station" of those who passed through.  His book provides some of the greatest evidence of the workings of the Underground Railroad. He chronicles where the runaways came from, how they escaped, the families they left behind, and the details of those who used the Underground Railroad.  For more on the William Still story, scope out the Battle Plan for Lesson 2!

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Peter, a slave, was bedridden fro two months after sustaining injuries from a whipping by his overseer. (Information from National Archvies and Records Administration and Image from U.S. Department of Interior National Park Service)

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Harriet Beecher Stowe (U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service)

Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin depicts the lives of slaves.  Legend has it, Lincoln greeted Stowe, saying, "so you're the little woman who wrote the book that started this great war."  It is unsure if this ever actually occurred, but the statement underscores the connection between the Civil War, Uncle Tom's Cabin, and those who lived a life in bondage.  

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