Underground Railroad Quotes:

I was the most famous conductor on the Underground Railroad.

- Harriet Tubman

topic: Railroads, Underground Railroad, Conductor

The only free road, the Underground Railroad, is owned and managed by the Vigilant Committee. They have tunneled under the whole breadth of the land.

- Henry David Thoreau

source: Henry David Thoreau (1992). “The Essays of Henry David Thoreau”, p.61, Rowman & Littlefield

topic: Land, Railroads, Underground Railroad

I had crossed de line of which I had so long been dreaming. I was free; but dere was no one to welcome me to de land of freedom, I was a stranger in a strange land, and my home after all was down in de old cabin quarter, wid de ole folks, and my brudders and sisters. But to dis solemn resolution I came; I was free, and dey should be free also; I would make a home for dem in de North, and de Lord helping me, I would bring dem all dere.

- Harriet Tubman

source: "Harriet, The Moses of Her People". Book by Sarah H. Bradford, 1886.

topic: Dream, Home, Land, Land Of The Free, Stranger In A Strange Land

I would fight for my liberty so long as my strength lasted, and if the time came for me to go, the Lord would let them take me.

- Harriet Tubman

topic: Strength, Fighting, Long, Underground Railroad

I was the conductor of the Underground Railroad for eight years, and I can say what most conductors can't say; I never ran my train off the track and I never lost a passenger.

- Harriet Tubman

source: Quoted in Lyde Cullen Sizer, Divided Houses (1992)

topic: Women, Years, Eight, Conductor, Passenger Seat

For me, seeing our history told in this light, the ones who did rebel, the ones who did revolt, the revolutionaries, excited me. Seeing this story of the Underground Railroad ... and that is such a proud part of our history that not a lot of us know about, where these brave men and women, they were heroes, really helped tear down the system of slavery just by running.

- Jurnee Smollett

source: "Jurnee Smollett-Bell Gets Deep About Underground, a Slave Narrative That Will Make You Proud to Be Black". Interview with Ronda Racha Penrice, www.theroot.com. March 9, 2016.

topic: Running, Hero, Men, Underground Railroad

I looked at my hands to see if I was the same person. There was such a glory over everything. The sun came up like gold through the trees, and I felt like I was in heaven.

- Harriet Tubman

source: "Harriet, The Moses of Her People". Book by Sarah H. Bradford, 1886.

topic: Freedom, Hands, Heaven, African American History, African American History Month

Harriet Tubman fought American slavery single handed and was a pioneer in that organized effort known as the Underground Railroad.

- W. E. B. Du Bois

topic: Effort, Pioneers, Railroads, American Slavery, Underground Railroad

Before the Civil War, Canada was at the top of the underground railroad. If you made it into Canada, you were safe unless someone came and hauled you back. That was also true during the Vietnam War for draft resisters.

- Margaret Atwood

topic: War, Safe, Canada, Canada Day, Happy Canada Day

Fortunately, I come from an activist mother, so I didn't have to rely on the history books. The history books teach us nothing about the Underground Railroad aside from Harriet Tubman. So I knew more about it but, obviously, I had to dig deeper and expand my knowledge and do a lot of research once I took this project on. I had, like, a good two months to research before we started shooting, which isn't a lot, and I continued it throughout the five months of us shooting.

- Jurnee Smollett

source: "Jurnee Smollett-Bell Gets Deep About Underground, a Slave Narrative That Will Make You Proud to Be Black". Interview with Ronda Racha Penrice, www.theroot.com. March 9, 2016.

topic: Mother, Book, Two, Dig Deep, History Books

I know in the spy movies it always looks really cool when the operative goes from a maid's uniform to a slinky, sexy, ballgown in the amount of time it takes an elevator to climb three floors. Well, I don't know how it is for TV spies, but I can tell you that even with Velcro, the art of the quick change is one that must take a lot of practice (not to mention better lighting than one is likely to find in a tunnel that was once part of the underground railroad).

- Ally Carter

source: Ally Carter (2010). “Gallagher Girls: I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have To Kill You”, p.107, Hachette UK

topic: Sexy, Art, Tunnels, Slinkies, Quick Change

I just finished Colson Whitehead's "The Underground Railroad," which I think is a work of genius.

- Alice Hoffman

source: Source: www.bostonglobe.com

topic: Thinking, Railroads, Genius, Underground Railroad

Thank God for Canada! In the context of this narrative [in Underground] and beyond, Canada was certainly an additional option for the many traveling the treacherous terrain of the Underground Railroad in pursuit of what was perceived as "freedom."

- Aisha Hinds

source: Source: www.theaquarian.com

topic: Thank God, Canada, Railroads, Underground Railroad