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Images of the Underground Railroad

Image 1: The Bloodhound Business by Van Ingen & Snyder (1864)A black and white 19th-century engraving depicting a dramatic chase scene involving freedom seekers. A Black man and woman, who is clutching a child, are running, confronted by a pack of aggressive dogs on the right, while armed pursuers are seen on horseback and on foot in the background.


Image 2: Heavy weights - arrival of a party at League Island; Fifteen escaped in this schooner by Porter & Coates (1872) A black and white 19th-century engraving illustrating a nocturnal scene of freedom seekers boarding a ship by a riverbank, likely part of the Underground Railroad. Several people are seen being assisted down a steep bank and onto the vessel, while others wait in carriages and wagons nearby under the cover of darkness.


Image 3: Escaping Out of Slavery by Unknown (1864)A dark 19th-century engraving depicting a large group of people traveling on a muddy road at night or in rainy weather, likely freedom seekers on the Underground Railroad. The scene features people on horseback, a covered carriage, and a man holding a torch aloft in the left foreground to light the way.


Image 4: A Bold Stroke of Freedom - Contest with Firearms by Porter & Coates (1872)A dramatic black and white 19th-century engraving depicting an armed standoff between a group of pursuers and freedom seekers defending themselves by a covered wagon. A Black woman stands centrally, aiming a pistol at a white man who is raising his rifle, while other armed figures are visible in the wagon and the background.


Source Image 5: Leap of the Fugitive Slave by A.G. Brown & Co. (1880)A black and white 19th-century engraving illustrating a dramatic and desperate scene on a wooden bridge at night. A woman in a light-colored dress is depicted mid-air, leaping from the bridge, while two men attempt to grab her and two other men are visible on the far side.


Image 6: A Narrow Escape by Porter & Coates. (1878)A black and white 19th-century engraving illustrating a dramatic moment of a man fleeing through a wooded area. The man, likely a freedom seeker, is shown in motion, looking back in fear as two armed men with guns are seen pursuing him through the foliage in the background.


Image 7: Escape of eleven passengers from Maryland in two carriages; Escaping with master's carriages and horses by Porter & Coates. (1872)A black and white 19th-century engraving illustrating a covered horse-drawn carriage containing several Black passengers, with a driver on horseback alongside. The carriage is shown on a cobblestone street, possibly in a town square, with a church steeple and buildings visible in the background.


Image 8: The Road to Liberty: A station on the Underground Railroad by Unknown (ca. 1800 - 1809)A black and white 19th-century sketch showing a tense scene near the edge of a body of water, likely a river crossing on the Underground Railroad. Three white men stand on the bank, pointing towards a small rowboat carrying Black passengers, including a woman holding a child, suggesting a pursuit or intervention is underway.


Image 9: Fugitive Slaves in the Dismal Swamp by David Edward Cronin (1888)A 19th-century painting depicting a group of Black people hiding in a dense, mossy swamp or thicket, likely freedom seekers on the run. A woman holding an infant and two men are resting in the foreground, while two other figures are partially visible deeper in the lush, green undergrowth.


Image 10: Arrival from Maryland, 1859; Ann Maria Jackson and her seven children by Porter & Coates. (1872)A black and white 19th-century engraving illustrating a scene of a Black woman seated on the floor and surrounded by six children, all looking at a young child seated on her lap. A Black man wearing a hat stands next to them on the left, observing the group.


Source: Images of the Underground Railroad




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