It wasn’t underground. It wasn’t even a railroad. Yet, the Underground Railroad was one of the most daring and covert networks in American history. In the shadows of the 19th century, it operated as a loosely organized coalition of brave individuals who risked everything to aid enslaved people on their perilous journey to freedom. Free African Americans, Quakers, enslaved Blacks, and sympathetic Whites became the architects of this conspiracy, building routes, hiding places, and secret networks to guide runaways northward to Canada or to safe zones in northern states.
As the abolitionist movement gained steam in the mid-1800s, the Underground Railroad became even more active. Between 1840 and 1860, it is estimated that over a thousand enslaved individuals were smuggled out of the South annually. Virginia, including its western region (now West Virginia), played a pivotal role in this extraordinary effort. Key junctions of the Underground Railroad in Virginia included Norfolk, Richmond, and Western Virginia—regions that became lifelines for many enslaved seeking freedom.