January 1847

William Still, a Philadelphia-born free Black man whose parents had escaped slavery, became chairman of the Philadelphia Vigilance Committee and began documenting every freedom-seeker he assisted. His records — published as 'The Underground Rail Road' (1872) — documented over 800 individuals with names, origins, and methods of escape. His was the most systematic record-keeping of the network and remains the primary scholarly source for the Underground Railroad.

William Still, Philadelphia-born free Black man, became chairman of the Philadelphia Vigilance Committee and documented every freedom-seeker he assisted. His records — published as 'The Underground Rail Road' (1872) — documented over 800 individuals with names, origins, and escape methods. His is the primary scholarly source for the Underground Railroad.

Willis Hodges launched The Ram's Horn in New York City after the New York Sun refused to print his letter opposing Black disenfranchisement unless he paid advertising rates. The paper — whose motto was 'We are men and brothers' — ran for about two years and published an early contribution by John Brown outlining guerrilla resistance to slavery. It exemplified Black press determination in the face of white media exclusion.