31 William Still Facts: African-American Abolitionist!

Hailing from the city of Philadelphia in Pennsylvania, US, William Still was an African-American Abolitionist, known as the father of the Underground Railroad system.

Author of The Underground Railroad Accounts, he was the Underground Railroad conductor before and during the American Civil War. He was also a businessman, a coal merchant, a civil rights activist, and the chairman of the Vigilance Committee of Pennsylvania Anti-Slavery Society.

He played a very important role in freeing slaves and maintained records of every slave using the Underground Railroad system to reunite torn families.

Born on October 7, 1821, William Still was the son of Sidney (renamed Charity) and Levin Still. Both his parents were former slaves. He was born in Burlington County, New Jersey.

Both of his parents were free from slavery by the time he was born. They had both been married in Maryland and escaped slavery separately.

While his father bought his freedom from his master in Maryland, his mother tried escaping twice. After being caught with her four children and being returned to slavery after that, she tried a second attempt, only taking her two young daughters with her.

The couple met in New Jersey, where they had 14 more children, William being the youngest of 18 children.

Read on for some interesting facts about his contribution to the Underground Railroad operation and escaping slaves. Afterward, also check William the conqueror facts and William Tyndale facts.

Nationalism Related Facts About William Still

He moved in 1844 to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Three years later, he landed a job as a clerk with the Pennsylvania Society for the abolition of Slavery.

When the Vigilance Committee was formed in the Pennsylvania Anti- Slavery Society, Still became the Chairman and moved to a new house in Philadelphia which served as the Underground Railroad Way Station between 1850-1855. The house still stands today.

Gradually becoming the prominent abolitionist we know him as today, he helped many fugitive slaves as the Chairman of the Vigilance Committee.

During his time as the conductor of the Underground Railroad, he not only guided but also provided shelter for fugitive slaves.

The Underground Railroad System was an extensive network of members of the abolitionist movement, both blacks, and whites, who were committed to helping escaped slaves by providing food, water, and shelter as they navigated their way out of the shackles of slavery.

The Underground Railroad system consisted of safe homes or stations which belonged to these abolitionists where runaway slaves could stay until they moved ahead to the next station.

During the American Civil War, William Still operated a retail store known as post exchange at Camp William Penn, a training camp for people of color in north Philadelphia.

William Still Important Facts

While he was born in Burlington County, New Jersey, which was a free state at the time of his birth, in Maryland, he was still considered a slave by birth because his mother had escaped slavery.

1847 was also the year when William married Letitia George, and they together had four children. All four of his children received education and pursued respectable careers. His eldest child, a daughter, Caroline Still, became a pioneer as well, acting as a female medical doctor.

William Still had a Coal Business and even owned a good amount of Real Estate, including the Liberty Hall.

He had bought a Coal yard during the American Civil war, which was the start of his coal business that continued even after the end of the Civil War.

He was also an advocate for providing equal educational opportunities for African Americans and became involved with the temperance movement.

He died in 1902, on July 14, in his house in Philadelphia. He is buried in the Eden Cemetery in Delaware County, Pennsylvania. His wife and daughter have been buried next to him.

The Eden Cemetery is known as the oldest African American Cemetery in America and is on the National Register of Historic Places. Even his residence was listed in 2018 on the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places.

He was also a member of the Freedmen's Aid Commission and the Philadelphia Board of Trade.

He gained his title as the father of the Underground Railroad system after his book was published. The name was probably a result of his detailed accounts encapsulating the struggles, memories, and mementos shared with him by every escaped slave he helped.

The book contains all the details about the Underground Railroad, including aliases, routes taken, destinations traveled from, and every escaped slave.

His willingness to bring families together can be attributed to his parents, who instilled deep familial values in him while growing up.

William Still Facts Related To Family Tree

The William Still story cannot be completed without learning about his family.

William's eldest brothers, who could not escape with his mother, were named Levin Jr. and Peter Still. Levin died while a slave in servitude by his slave owners.

William's older brother Peter passed around to different parts of the country. He was able to free himself and his wife and family by the time he turned 50 years of age.

He had fifteen more siblings and was the youngest of a total of eighteen children.

His four children with his wife Letitia George were named Caroline Virginia Matilda Still (1848-1919), William Wilberforce Still (1854-1932), Frances Ellen Still (1857-1953), and Robert George Still (1861-1896). While his eldest daughter was a doctor, William Wilberforce became a lawyer, Robert a journalist, and Frances a Kindergarten Teacher.

Some of his descendants are renowned celebrities who made significant contributions in their respective fields like William Grant Still, a famous composer of over 200 works of music, including five symphonies; Valerie Still, who was a professional basketball player with the WNBA and Art Still (Arthur Still), brother of Valerie Still, an NFL defensive player.

During one of his interviews, he realized that the person he was interviewing was his older brother Peter Still. Peter shared the same stories that his mother had told William while growing up. This event took place when Peter had approached the Pennsylvania Anti-Slavery Society in search of his parents and family.

Empowering Facts About William Still

William Still's contributions to African American history have made him an inspiring icon for the black youth and people of color who at times face racism. Here are some empowering William Still facts.

He was not only an abolitionist restricted to freeing fugitive slaves, escaping servitude, William Still also fought against segregation in 1859, against Philadelphia's separate seating provisions in the public transport system.

In support of this initiative, he published a pamphlet in 1867 titled 'A Brief Narrative of the Struggle for the Rights of the Colored People of Philadelphia in the City Railway Cars.'

After eight long years of this continued protest and action towards abolishing segregation, the Pennsylvania Legislature passed the law abolishing segregation and racial discrimination in public transport.

While working as the Underground Railroad conductor, he maintained detailed accounts of all the runaway slaves so that he could reunite separated family members. It was this dedication towards the cause that gathered him loyal followers. As the father of the Underground Railroad system, William Still helped over 800 runaway slaves gain their own freedom.

His work for the upliftment of black youth is evident because he established the first YMCA and an orphanage for the benefit of African American youth who had no other means to progress in society.

William Still did not receive a lot of formal education himself. In fact, he received very little formal education and was largely self-taught. His determination to grow beyond his circumstances and better himself was clearly evident from this.

William taught himself to read and write, which helped him become the abolitionist and civil rights advocate we know. His determination to teach himself allowed him with the skills to publish his own works, such as the pamphlets he published while trying to abolish segregation in the Pennsylvania Society, and later when he published his book.

His success in business also is proof of his ability to teach things to himself.

In his published book The Underground Railroad Records, he has accounted for all the escaped slaves he helped and met their families and all the struggles they faced during enslavement and while running away from slavery towards their own freedom. This book was published in 1872, after the Civil War ended.

His importance in American history is so fascinating and massive that several movies have been made where famous Hollywood actors have portrayed him.

Several fictional, as well as documentary movies, have been made about his life and on the lives of other prominent African American Activists who crossed roads with William Still.

In each of these movies, we can see the will, determination, and sheer passion with which William Still continued his work as an Abolitionist and Civil Rights activist who played a crucial role in African American History and the American Civil War.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created many interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for William Still facts, then why not take a look at William Wallace facts or William Wilberforce facts?