William StillSSE 6115

Biography ProjectBridgette StarkSummer 2015

Includes:Diary EntriesBirth CertificateTimelineBiography BottleNewspaper ArticlePicture CollagePoemObituaryRubric

Diary Entry ExcerptsWilliam Still

March 24, 1849Today I write about the incredible spirit of a man determined to be

free. This man is named Henry Brown and 36 hours ago he was a slave, but now has taken the first steps towards freedom. Henry was separated from his family when he was sold to a neighboring plantation. His pregnant wife and three children were not sold along with him. Month later he watched from the side of the road with tears in his eyes as his pregnant wife and three children walked by in chains on their way to be sold. He could not save them. It must have been a heart wrenching scene and one that led Henry to plan for his escape.

Henry devised a plan to seek through freedom by hiding in a wooden box marked as dry goods. He would be shipped by rail, wagon, steamboats and ferries with the last part of the trip being carried out by a delivery wagon to the Philadelphia Anti-Slavery Society. This dangerous endeavor was carried out in a box measuring 2 feet 8 inches deep by 2 feet side and 3 feet long. I had the pleasure of being present when the box was opened and Henry Brown greeted us with, “How do you do, Gentlemen?” and then recited a psalm and then began to sing the psalm. It is a memory that will never be erased from my mind. The joy of Henry Brown’s first breath of freedom was felt by all of us present. He earned the name Henry “Box” Brown.

August 1850Today as part of my employment of working for the Society I was

helping a fugitive who called himself Peter Freedman. Many times I assist fugitives in finding employment or help them move further north. But this slave’s story sounded very familiar to me. It took me a while, but then I realized that Peter Freedman was my long-lost brother Peter Still. What a joyous day this was.

I am the youngest of 18 children born to my parents. The first four children born to my parents were taken into slavery and were never seen again. As you can see, this chance encounter with my very own brother must have been the stars lining up in our favor. My parents would be so happy to see us reunited. We are thanking the Lord this evening for his many blessings but are also saying a very special prayer of thanks for reuniting me with my brother.1853

Today I have taken part in a ceremony that will become part of history. I have been involved in the process of establishing the first YMCA for Colored Men and Boys in Philadelphia. This is a momentous occasion that represents great strides in our creating a city of equality between all people.

Until now colored men have been excluded from membership due to local practices of segregations. But now, men who are newly freed slaves will have a place to go; a place that will build community spirit and a sense of responsibility among the black Christian men in our community.

1872Today my book is published. I can finally tell everyone what I know

and what I have documented about The Underground Railroad. Many of these documents, letters, and memorabilia may bring peace to those who has lost someone during this part of history and bring celebration to those who are free. There are many men and women to thank and appreciate for their time and commitment. It took unimaginable bravery and fortitude to be a part of freeing those who could not free themselves. Our reward for this is knowing that we are helping someone who life will be changed forever.

Know in our hearts and soul and by the grace of God were able to help many slaves to freedom. This book is for them, it is their lives, their stories and I am honored to be able to publish these words to celebrate the lives of the people within this book.

WILLIAM STILL TIMELINE

1809 Abraham Lincoln is born**

1818 Frederick Douglass is born**

1821 October 7, 1821 Abolitionist, writer and businessman William Still is born in Burlington County near Medford, New Jersey. Both of Still’s parents, Levin Steel and Sidney, were held in bondage in Maryland. Levin changed his last name to Still and Sidney changed her first name to Charity to protect each other from re-enslavement once they escaped. William was the youngest of their eighteen children

1822 Harriett Tubman is born as Araminta Ross

1849 On March 24, 1849 Henry “Box” Brown arrived in Philadelphia after traveling 27 hours in a box. William Still was one of four men who opened the box that set Henry free.

1850 In August 1850,  William Still, while working as a clerk for the Society, was assisting a fugitive slave calling himself "Peter Freedman". As the escapee's story was similar to many he had heard before, it took a while for Still to realize that Freedman was his long-lost brother

1850 The Fugitive Slave Act was passed on September 18, 1850 by the United States Congress, as part of the Compromise of 1850 between Southern slave-holding interests and Northern Free-Soilers. It required that all escaped slaves were, upon capture, to be returned to their masters and officials and citizens of free states had to cooperate in this law. Abolitionists nicknamed it the "Bloodhound Law" for the dogs that were used to track down runaway slaves.

1850 The Compromise of 1850 was a package of five separate bills passed by the United States Congress in September 1850, which defused a four-year political confrontation between slave and free states regarding the status of territories acquired during the Mexican-American War (1846–1848).

1852 The book Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe was published. Parts of the book are based on Josiah Henson’s account of his years as a slave in Maryland.

1853 On February 2, 1853 helped found the first Black YMCA

1854 Kansas-Nebraska Act set aside the Missouri Compromise of 1820 which then permits these two new territories to choose whether to allow slavery. Violent clashes erupt.

1857 Dred Scott Decision - The United States Supreme Court decides, seven to two, that African Americans can never be citizens (and therefore cannot have legal rights) and that Congress has no authority to outlaw slavery in any territory.

1858 Oberlin-Wellington Rescue - On September 13, 1858, a runaway slave named John Price, from Maysville, Kentucky, was arrested by a United States marshal in Oberlin, Ohio. Under the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850, the federal government assisted slaveholders in reclaiming their runaway slaves. As soon as residents heard of the marshal's actions, a group of men rushed to Wellington and attempted to free Price, but the marshal and his deputies took refuge in a local hotel. After peaceful negotiations failed, the rescuers stormed the hotel and found Price in the attic. The group immediately returned Price to Oberlin, where they hid him in the home of James Harris Fairchild, a future president of Oberlin College.

1859 Raid on Harper’s Ferry (John Brown’s death) October 16-18, 1859 On the evening of October 16, 1859 John Brown, a staunch abolitionist, and a group of his supporters left their farmhouse hide-out to go to Harpers Ferry. Descending upon the town in the early hours of October 17th, Brown and his men captured prominent citizens and seized the federal armory and arsenal. Brown was sentenced to death for his crimes and hanged on December 2, 1859.

1860 Abraham Lincoln elected President

1861 Civil War Begins when many southern states secede from the Union.

1862 Slavery is abolished in Washington, D.C. through a law passed by Congress

1863 Emancipation Proclamation - President Abraham Lincoln decrees that all slaves in Rebel territory are free on January 1, 1863. The Proclamation only freed those slaves that were in rebellion against the United States. The proclamation did not free slaves in the states that never left the Union.

1865 Civil War Ends - Four years of conflict claim 623,000 lives

1865 December 6, 1865 Congress passed the 13th Amendment to the Constitution outlawing slavery.

1867 William Still wrote A Brief Narrative of the Struggle for the Rights of the Colored People of Philadelphia in the City Railway Cars (88 years before Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white passenger)

1868 Congress passes the Fourteenth Amendment. It makes all black people citizens of the United States.

1870 Congress passes the Fifteenth Amendment, which specifically gives black men the right to vote

1872 The book The Underground Railroad written by William Still is self-published. The Underground Railroad is the only first person account of Black activities on the Underground Railroad written and self-published by an African American.

1902 William Still dies

1920 Passed by Congress June 4, 1919, and ratified on August 18, 1920, the 19th amendment granted women the right to vote**

**Information in italics happens outside the lifetime of William Still, but I thought they were significant or interesting facts so I included them but identified them in italics.

Resources:

http://stillfamily.library.temple.edu/timeline/william-still

https://en.wikipedia.org/?title=Underground_Railroad

http://pathways.thinkport.org/library/events.cfm

http://www.nps.gov/wori/learn/historyculture/significant-events-of-the-underground-railroad.htm

http://www.pbs.org/black-culture/shows/list/underground-railroad/stories-freedom/henry-box-brown/ Underground Railroad: The William Still Story

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oberlin%E2%80%93 Wellington_Rescue Oberlin Wellington Rescue

Still, William. The Underground Railroad: A Record of Facts, Authentic Narratives, Letters, &C., Narrating the Hardships, Hair-Breadth Escapes and Death Struggles Of The Slaves In Their Efforts for Freedom. Self Published 1872

THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, MONDAY, April 12, 1867

Dear Editor of the Philadelphia Inquirer:

It has come to my attention that William Still has written a narrative entitled, “A Brief Narrative of the Struggle for The Rights of the Colored People of Philadelphia in the City Railway Cars.” This was read before a large public meeting held in Liberty Hall on Lombard Street on April 8, 1867. Mr. Still is asking for the railways to be able to ridden by all colored persons. As it stands right now sometimes colored people if allowed to ride are only allowed to ride on the platform with the driver, no how well they are dressed they are. As Frederick Douglass so stated in 1862 "Colored persons, no matter how well dressed or well-behaved, ladies or gentlemen, rich or poor, are not even permitted to ride on any of the many railways through that Christian City." Mr. Still wrote an article in the North American and United States Gazette, asking why, in the "City of Brotherly Love," should those who are taxed to support highways be rejected from those very highways. He pointed out the inherent decency of the colored population with the large number of colored churches, Sabbath schools, public and private day schools. I ask that all people read the writing of Mr. Still to understand the importance of this issue. All people, regardless of color, should be allowed to ride the streetcars so they can conduct their business affairs and visit family and friends in the hospital without paying for a private fare. This service should be made available to all citizens of Philadelphia.

Yours Truly,

Sojourner Truth

Photo of a Streetcar during this time period

WILLIAM STILL

Wrote a book called The Underground RailroadIs the youngest of 18 children born to Levin and Charity StillLearned to read and write on his ownLocated his brother Peter Still and helped him escape to freedomIs sometimes called the “Father of the Underground Railroad”Appointed to the Philadelphia Board of TradeMarried Letitia and had four children

Secretary of the Pennsylvania Anti-Slavery SocietyTrustee of Storer College in Harper’s Ferry, West VirginiaInterviewed fugitive slaves and wrote down their storiesLeft behind a collection of papers and photographs to document historyLived a long life

William Still – Autobiographical Obituary

Biography Project - B. Stark

CATEGORY 5 Points 3 Points 0 PointsBirth Certificate Birth Certificate shows

date and place of birth, parent’s names (if known) creative and appropriate for the time period they were born.

Birth Certificate is some of the following requirements: date and place of birthday, parent’s name (if known), creative and appropriate to time period.

Birth Certificate information is incomplete and does not meet the requirements of the assignment.

Timeline Timeline includes a list of twenty historical events that happened during your person's lifetime.

Timeline does not include at least twenty historical events or includes events that did not happen during your person's lifetime.

Timeline contains very few events and/or timeline contains many events that did not happen during your person's lifetime.

Diary Diary includes at least four entries that are at least two paragraphs in length.

Diary does not include four entries and/or the diary entries are not two paragraphs in length.

Diary does not include four entries and all entries are not at least two paragraphs in length.

Biography Bottle Create a bottle person of your biography person using a two liter bottle for the body. Bottle person is done neatly and creatively.

Bottle person was not created using a bottle for the body and does not depict your biography person in a neat and creative manner.

Bottle person not completed.

Newspaper Article Write an article that could have appeared in the paper during the lifetime of your person. The article should be about event your person made happen or was involved in. The article should be created to look real.

Article does not represent something your person made happen or was involved in or article does not seem real for the time period of your person's lifetime.

Article does not represent something your person made happen or was involved in and does not pertain to a time period in your person's lifetime.

Picture Create a picture collage that represents your person's life or create a portrait of your person.

Picture collage does not adequate portray your person's life.

Picture collage or portrait not created or submitted.

Poem Write a poem about your person that features qualities that make that person unique and includes facts relating to the person's life or other details.

Poem is about your biography person but does not feature qualities that make the person or does not include facts relating to the life or details of their life.

Poem is about your biography person but does not include qualities that make the person unique and does not include facts relating to their life or details of their life.

Obituary Write an obituary that celebrates the life and achievements of your biography person. Put this obituary on a tombstone.

Obituary is written but does not celebrate the life or does not celebrate the achievements or was not put on a tombstone.

Obituary was not written in a way that celebrates your person life and achievement and was not put on a tombstone.

Date Created: June 17, 2015