The Underground Railroad

by Raymond Bial

By ones, twos, and threes, in the years before the Civil War thousands of enslaved people slipped through the night on their way to freedom, riding the Underground Railroad. Hidden and hunted, the escape of southern slaves to the North remains a compelling event in American history. Within the pages of this book are documented, in prose and elegantly articulate photographs, examples of "stations" on the Railroad, along with images of the routes, lives, and hardships of both the "passengers" and "conductors."

Genres: Nonfiction, History

48 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1983

About the author

Author and photographer Raymond Bial (1948-2021) has been creating acclaimed books for children and adults for more than thirty years. His books have been published by Houghton Mifflin, Scholastic, Walker & Company, Marshall Cavendish, Crickhollow Books, and other fine publishers and university presses. Raymond also makes images on assignment, and his stock photographs have been used by book publishers such as National Geographic, advertising agencies such as Leo Burnett, and media such as PBS.

Raymond’s most recent books are Ellis Island: Coming to the Land of Liberty, which is an excellent companion volume to Tenement: Immigrant Life on the Lower East Side; The Shaker Village, a lovely collection of color photographs depicting the simplicity and grace of this remarkable utopian community; a lovely paperback edition of Where Lincoln Walked published in honor of the bicentennial of the birth of this great president; Dripping Blood Cave and Other Ghostly Stories, the third volume in a popular series of ghost stories for young readers; and Rescuing Rover: Saving America’s Dogs, which has been selected for the Junior Literary Guild Book Club. Rescuing Rover is currently receiving high praise across the country.

Chigger, his most recent novel, is receiving fine reviews from readers, young and old alike. Anyone who likes to root for the underdog will love this sweet story of an unforgettable girl.

Reviews

[Kristin Charles]

This is an easy read and is a good reference as an overview of the Underground Railroad and the political climate of the time. The photographs are moving and speak about those who rallied against the freedoms of African Americans and also those brave souls who worked against injustices, even at their own peril.

[Krystie Herndon]

Not much new information in this book, but the photography is lovely, and elementary-school-level readers would be well-served, if first being introduced to the concept of the Underground Railroad.

[Chappyfamily]

Interesting with pictures

[Darel Krieger]

interesting story of how the underground railroad came to be and how it served so many of the enslaved people during the civil war.

[Lisbeth]

The information is well written and quite comprehensive for the size of the book. The photographs are incredible.

[Ariston]

The story is about how slaves were helped to freedom. Tice Davids is one of many of slaves. Levi Coffin helped the slaves to freedom. The slaves lived in shacks. This book was informative and helpful in some ways. I learned that kind people helped the slaves to freedom. I also learned the the 'Underground Railroad' was not a railroad at all, but groups of people that helped slaves travel from the southern states to the northern states and gave them food and shelter along the way.

I really liked the book. I learned more about the Emancipation Proclamation.

[Ariston]

the story is about how slaves were help to freedom. Tice Davids is one of many of slaves. Levi Coffin help slaves to freedom. the slaves lived in shacks. this book was informative and helpful in some ways. i learned that kind people helped the slaves to freedom. i really liked the book. i also learned more about the emancipation proclamation.