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The remarkable, little-known story of William Still, known as the Father of the Underground Railroad from award-winning author-illustrator Don Tate. William Still's parents escaped slavery but had to leave two of their children behind, a tragedy that haunted the family. As a young man, William went to work for the Pennsylvania Anti-Slavery Society, where he raised money, planned rescues, and helped freedom seekers who had traveled north. And then one day, a strangely familiar man came into William's office, searching for information about his long-lost family. Could it be? Motivated by his own family's experience, William began collecting the stories of thousands of other freedom seekers. As a result, he was able to reunite other families and build a remarkable source of information, including encounters with Harriet Tubman, Henry "Box" Brown, and William and Ellen Craft. Don Tate brings to life the incredible true story of William Still's life and work as a record keeper of enslaved people who had fled to freedom. Tate's powerful words and artwork are sure to inspire readers in this first-ever picture book biography of the Father of the Underground Railroad.… (more)
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William’s parents were originally enslaved in Maryland. His father purchased his freedom and went North. His mother escaped along with their two
Growing up, he got a job in Philadelphia, at the Pennsylvania Anti-Slavery Society, eventually working his way up to manager. William sought out travelers on the “Underground Railroad” - i.e., escaped slaves from the South, and welcomed them into his home, which became a “station” on the Underground Railroad. One evening a “passenger” arrived at his office - an elderly man - and it turned out to be his long-lost older brother Peter.
The author recounts:
“Peter’s story was sad. Tragic. Miraculous. And extraordinary. And Peter’s story restored his family.”
William wondered, could other people’s stories help reunite families torn apart by slavery? He started to record every detail escaped slaves could provide to him, and in 1872 published The Underground Rail Road, a collection of those stories from his journals. (Photographs of pages from Still’s journal are shown on the front endpapers, with transcriptions of them featured on the back endpapers.) Tate writes:
“William Still’s records, and the stories he preserved, reunited families torn apart by slavery.”
Back matter includes a timeline, an author’s note about the book’s inspiration, and a bibliography.
The author, also a noted illustrator, used his warm illustrations and variations in font to help tell the story.
Evaluation: This inspiring history for ages 6 and up shows how one person, starting in the worst of circumstances, can work hard and make a difference. I also love that he brings much-needed attention to other African Americans besides the names everyone knows, like Harriet Tubman, who worked so hard to help slaves gain their freedom.
This is a biography of one of the men who was a big part of the Underground Railway - if not the most important! William Still's story is crazy important and is one incredible one. I think this is a great way to introduce the tale, especially in a picture format. I feel like this would have helped me with reading the Underground Railway chapter book way back in my youth.
This Black History book is super important. I highly recommend it not only because of it's important historical context but the beautiful illustrations and great story telling that brought this book to life.
Five out of five stars.
Thank you to NetGalley and Peachtree Publishing Company for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.