Once known as the "Athens of America," Philadelphia was second only to London in importance (within the British Empire). Every day, ships docked at the bustling port city, and many of those ships carried a shameful cargo - enslaved Africans.

As a passageway for transporting the enslaved between the Caribbean, Africa, and the American colonies, Philadelphia's earliest history was tainted with slave auctions at Congo Square, now known as Washington Square, and the London Coffee House at Front and Market Streets.

Despite this, the city would lead the world in anti-slavery activities, taking their protest to London and igniting the British abolitionist movement. While other states were still debating the issue of slavery, free Africans and Quakers were influencing local opinion. And with the Mason-Dixon line only 15 miles south of the city, Philadelphia was quickly becoming a hub of abolitionist defiance.

Throughout the city, a determined free Black community (the largest in the North) established a resistance network that soon spread throughout the United States. The Free African Society and Mother Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church provided aid to those seeking freedom. Robert Purvis, Harriett Forten Purvis, William Still, and other African citizens joined forces with Quakers and other sympathetic whites, forming successful anti-slavery organizations and establishing Vigilant Committees to provide assistance to enslaved Africans needing help.

But civil disobedience brought risks. Although Philadelphia was the entry point to the North, the city was not always a safe haven. After the 1850 Fugitive Slave Act, slave catchers and federal marshals often charged into town searching for escaped slaves who were then held in Eastern State Penitentiary and Moyamensing Prison until they were arraigned and returned to slavery.

This situation only strengthened the resolve of abolitionists. Defying danger and scrutiny from unsympathetic neighbors, the region's anti-slavery activists formed a continuous escape route northbound to Canada providing food, shelter, and places to hide along the way. Under the constant threat of discovery and the risk of being tried for treason, Underground Railroad supporters disobeyed federal law and offered "safe" passage for those seeking freedom.

Throughout the Greater Philadelphia region are sites that recount the dangers, bravery, pain, and triumph of the Underground Railroad. Explore the legacy. History is waiting for you.

For additional information, visit: www.gophila.com, www.soundaboutphilly.com or www.explorepahistory.com or explore Philadelphia's Libraries and Research Centers.

• Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau
• Phone: 215-636-3300
• www.philadelphiausa.travel

Philadelphia Regions