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 RiverQuestion of the Monthfor February 2008
Question:With its location at the junction of three rivers, Pittsburgh has played significant roles in human events throughout history, from well before Europeans came to the New World, to the present day: as a center of transportation, a population center, and a traveling hub. Many consider Columbia, Pennsylvania as the birthplace of the Underground Railroad, with its proximity to Maryland and a section of town reserved for escaped slaves. Was Pittsburgh a stop on the Underground Railroad?
Answer:When first established, Pennsylvania was a slave holding colony. Most slaveholders lived in the Philadelphia area, but Pittsburgh was home to slaves as well. Pennsylvania was one of the first states to abolish slavery, beginning with the Gradual Abolition Act of 1780. By the mid-1800s, no slaves resided in Allegheny County and the population of free blacks was in the thousands. Pittsburgh and neighboring Allegheny City (now the Northside of Pittsburgh) developed an anti-slavery reputation. Members of the Anti-Slavery Society, Pittsburgh Colonization Society and area churches, along with some local newspaper editors, played a role in Pittsburgh’s anti-slavery movement.
The Underground Railroad, by its very nature, was a network shrouded in secrecy. There are many It is difficult to pinpoint exactly where and when the Underground Railroad began. There are written accounts of escaped slaves receiving aid from others as early as 1786. Many consider Columbia, Pennsylvania, with its proximity to Maryland and where a section of town was reserved for escaped slaves, as the birthplace of the Underground Railroad. By 1815-1817, western Pennsylvania, including Pittsburgh, played an active role in the escape network. Pittsburgh’s rivers, rail lines, hilly topography and anti-slavery climate made it an important stop on the Underground Railroad. Private homes and businesses, church basements, hospitals and hotels in the area served as station houses. Some of the station houses are still standing, including the Bingham House on Mount Washington and the Point View Hotel in Brentwood. The arrows on the map represent pathways taken on the route northward. There is a common misperception that white abolitionists were the only people helping escaped slaves. In reality, many free black people played an active role in the Underground Railroad, and those living in Pittsburgh were no exception. The Monongahela House, a former hotel in the city, employed 300 free blacks that helped slaves of visiting southerners begin their quest for freedom. Free blacks also used their own homes, private businesses and churches as station houses. Activity on the Underground Railroad accelerated after the passing of the harsh Fugitive Slave Act of 1850. Many blacks who had settled in Pennsylvania and other northern states moved north towards Canada, where slavery had been abolished in 1833, for fear of being re-captured or forced into slavery. Slavery was abolished and all slaves in the United States were finally freed in 1865.
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aspects of its operation that may never be fully understood, but eyewitness accounts from abolitionists and former slaves shed some light on the inner workings of the railroad. Slaves made their escapes in a variety of ways. On foot in the dark of night was the most common method. However, trains, steamer ships, wagons or carriages with false bottoms and underground tunnels all played a role. Several people even managed to ship themselves, with the help of others, out of the south in crates. Disguises were often used, sometimes effectively enough to allow escaped slaves to walk past their former masters unnoticed. Conductors in the south assisted slaves with their initial escapes. Whenever possible, the escapees were led to a safe house, also known as a depot or station house, where they would be provided with food and hidden during daylight hours. Agents, also referred to as station masters, were the individuals who opened up their own homes or businesses as depots and assisted with escape routes in their immediate vicinity. Superintendents were responsible for coordinating the network of an entire state.