Boston: An Underground Railroad Hub

“The object of our Association is to extend a helping hand to all who may bid adieu to whips and chains, and by the welcome light of the North Star, reach a haven where they can be protected from the grasp of the man-stealer…”

- The New England Freedom Association, 1845

Welcome to Boston: An Underground Railroad Hub, a digital exploration of Boston's long history as a center of Underground Railroad activity. Through an evolving array of interactive maps, videos, articles, and other features, we invite you to learn about the freedom seekers who escaped to Boston and the people here who assisted them. Discover incredible stories of how Bostonians organized to shelter and protect those who came looking for their freedom. Hear about amazing individuals and associations who not only protested the fugitive slave laws of the country, but also militantly responded to fugitive slave arrests in the city.

Be inspired by the bravery of those who fled slavery and the collective action of Bostonians that helped them along their way to freedom.

Beacon Hill and West End neighborhoods of Boston

Boston's Underground Railroad

Learn about the integral role Boston and its citizens played on the Underground Railroad.

Map with cameo images in sepia tone of individuals and buildings

🔊 Underground Railroad in Boston Tour

Through this self-guided audio tour, hear about Boston's role in the Underground Railroad.

Mapping the Underground Railroad

Explore this interactive digital map that highlights places in Boston connected to the Underground Railroad.

Title page text of the Boston Vigilance Committee Account Book with a faint Faneuil Hall engraving.

The 1850 Boston Vigilance Committee

Explore this ongoing exhibition that looks at the lives and activism of the more than two hundred members of the final Vigilance Committee.

Portrait of Harriet Tubman overlaid on a historical map of Boston.

Harriet Tubman's Boston

This digital exploration highlights several key moments, people, and places that illustrate Tubman's decades-long relationship with Boston.

Six silhouettes of women on left side over a map of Beacon Hill in Boston with title to right

Boston Women & the Underground Railroad

Learn about the contributions of the women who served as the heart of the free Black community on the north slope of Beacon Hill.

Broadside of Anthony Burns Meeting in Faneuil Hall

A Man Kidnapped!

This seventeen minute film explores the rendition of Anthony Burns, told through those who witnessed the event in 1854.

Story Maps

William and Ellen Craft

Explore a story map about William and Ellen Craft's remarkable journey to freedom from Macon, Georgia to Boston, Massachusetts and beyond.
Elizabeth Blakeley

Read about Elizabeth Blakeley's escape to freedom on a vessel from North Carolina to Boston.
Shadrach Minkins

Learn about Shadrach Minkins' escape from slavery and daring rescue from slave catchers in this story map.
Thomas Sims

Interact with this story map about Thomas Sims' path to emancipation, which took many years and several attempts.
Anthony Burns

Follow Anthony Burns' path to freedom, which involved a failed courthouse rescue and a military takeover of downtown Boston.
Jane Johnson

Learn about Jane Johnson's bold escape to freedom that led to her testifying against her enslaver in court.