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Fugitive Slaves and the Underground Railroad in Pennsylvania: Primary Sources

Runaway Slave Ad, 1802 

“Record of Cases attended to for the Vigilant Committee of Phila by the Agent,” Vigilant Committee of Philadelphia Records, 1839-1844, HSP

Excerpt for classroom activity use (pdf)

Full text, edited, from the Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography

Journal C of Station No. 2, William Still, 1852-1857, Vigilance Committee of Philadelphia, PAS Papers, HSP.

Full Text, edited and in facsimile

Excerpts for classroom use (pdfs): 

Sept. 2, 1853 - John Walker- passing as a white man

Sept. 23, 1853 and October 25, 1853- John Henry Hill - traveled via steamship

Oct. 27, 1853- Mark Hamlet Thodgoff- advisable to send him away 

Nov. 2, 1853- Robt. Jackson- shot while escaping

March 6, 1854- Sam'l Washington Johnson- importance of Uncle Tom's Cabin

Aug. 28, 1854- Wesley Kinnard- helped by Harriet Tubman

Sept. 8, 1854- John Henry Rickels- found his mother after 20 years

Sept. 25, 1854- Chas. King & Robert White- hired out

Oct. 21, 1854- Chas. Thompson- influenced by Uncle Tom's Cabin

Nov. 2, 1854 and May 19, 1856- John Cannon- letter from New York

Nov. 27, 1854- John Wesley Gibson- passing as a white man

Dec. 21, 1854- Issac William, Henry Banks, Kit Nickless- broke out of jail

Jan. 1, 1854- Peter Derrickson- benefit of his own labor

March 1, 1855- Mary Epps, Joseph and Robert Robinson- sale of children, description of southern slave prison

------- Sam'l Nixon- a dentist

June 22, 1855- Elias Jasper- skilled worker including daguerreotyping

June 29, 1855- Richard Green- master tries to take mother's child

Aug. 17, 1855- Elizabeth Banks- living in Pennsylvania for 2 years

Dec. 11, 1855- Sam'l Green- living in Pennsylvania for 9 years

Nov. 20, 1855- 21 arrivals- role of religion

Nov. 22, 1855- Ann Maria Whims (Weems)- dressed like a man to escape

Jan. 2, 1856- Robert Brown- swam the Potomac River

Jan. 16, 1856- 5 arrivals- almost caught

Jan. 29, 1856- Mary Jeffries, Mary Redden, Sarah Redden- living in Philadelphia for several years

Expense Book, Vigilance Committee of Philadelphia, 1854-55, PAS Papers, HSP (pdf)

Runaway Slave Ads, from Journal C of Station No. 2, William Still, 1852-1857, Vigilance Committee of Philadelphia, PAS Papers, HSP

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