Library of CongressThe Underground Railroad network was instrumental to the freedom of at least 100,000 Black slaves. It’s difficult to pinpoint when the movement began but scholars estimate the loose network of abolitionists started to take shape toward the end of the 18th century. This four-movement piece was originally composed in 1937, and revised in 1970. Still contributed to the YMCA and other organizations by organizing missions, and oversaw the management of homes for children, orphans, and the elderly. While in his role as clerk as the Philadelphia “station”, he worked to directed a complex network of abolitionists, sympathizers, and safe houses from his city of Philadelphia to the area now known as Southern Ontario. If you reference any of the content on this page on your own website, please use the code below to cite this page as the original source. “When I found I had crossed that line, I looked at my hands to see if I was the same person,” she said of making it into the free state of Pennsylvania, where she took on her mother’s name of Harriet.

Another "first" in Still's career occurred in 1949, when the New York City Opera Company presented his second opera, Troubled Island; this was the first time that a leading opera company produced a work by an African-American composer.

The dangers were heightened when the Fugitive Slave Law was passed in 1850, stating that escaped enslaved people caught in the North could be returned to slavery. Link will appear as William Still Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, August 18, 2020. The diversity of Still’s musical education was extended when, in the 1920s, he worked as an arranger for the bandleader Paul Whiteman and for the blues composer W.C. Encyclopedia of World Biography. This worksheet can be edited by Premium members using the free Google Slides online software. The Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection houses William Still Papers dating from 1865 through 1899. But experiencing freedom wasn’t enough for Tubman — she couldn’t bear the thought of her family being enslaved, so she crossed back in 1850 to lead her niece’s family to Philadelphia. William Still Facts & Worksheets.

During the 1920s Still began to compose serious concert works. In 1939 he married, settling in Los Angeles. In 1851, she went back to bring her husband across the line, only to find that he was married to another woman and had no desire to move North. After settling in Philadelphia, Still became one of the city’s most successful businessmen and was attracted to the abolitionist movement. His parents, Levin and Sidney (who later changed her name to Charity) Still, were both escaped slaves from Maryland. He was also the chairman of the Pennsylvania Anti-Slavery Society and provided help to fugitive slaves by helping them reunite with their families. That’s when he encountered his long-lost brother, William. As the composer noted, "I knew I wanted to write a symphony; I knew that it had to be an American work; and I wanted to demonstrate how the blues, so often considered a lowly expression, could be elevated to the highest musical level." William Still was known as the “Father of The Underground Railroad,” aiding perhaps 800 fugitive slaves on their journeys to freedom and publishing their first-person accounts of bondage and escape in his 1872 book, The Underground Railroad Records. Still died on December 3, 1978 in Los Angeles.

Harriet was a woman of no pretensions, indeed, a more ordinary specimen of humanity could hardly be found among the most unfortunate-looking farm hands of the South. She married a free man, John Tubman, in 1844, but not much is known about their relationship except that she took his last name. It was the only first-person account of activities on the Underground Railroad that was written and published by an African American. During this time, Still also made history when he conducted (1936) the Los Angeles Philharmonic. When Black riders were mistreated, Still stood as a champion for their rights and wrote a short narrative about his activism around streetcar ridership. Still was brought up by his mother and grandmother in Little Rock, Arkansas, and studied medicine at Wilberforce University, Ohio, before turning to music. Built with all over the world Copyright © 1999–2020This site uses cookies to improve your experience. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Historians believe Still rescued somewhere near 800 slaves through his work with the Underground Railroad, earning him the title, “Father of the Underground Railroad.”. Throughout his distinguished career he composed in many styles, frequently utilizing black motifs. Why William Still’s Collection is of National Significance.

He was saluted on his 75th birthday with an all-Still concert by the Oberlin (Ohio) Orchestra, which presented the world premiere of his Symphony No. During the 1930s Still worked as a free-lance arranger and a staff composer for network radio.

Meanwhile, William Still was born into freedom in Burlington County, New Jersey, a free state.

Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... What instrument is musician Carlos Santana famous for playing?

The show stars Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Aldis Hodge, Alano Miller and Christopher Meloni in lead roles. His Underground Railroad “station” became a popular stop where he helped shepherd those enslaved to Canada. Click the button below to get instant access to these worksheets for use in the classroom or at a home. The network was an important part of American history that would have likely been buried by time if it weren’t for the neatly-kept records of the network’s activities, penned by none other than William Still. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. The Underground Railroad began to take shape toward the early 18th Century, providing safe routes and aid for escaped slaves.

Her work as a “conductor” (those who guided the enslaved along the Underground Railroad) earned her the nickname “Moses,” which happened to be the actual name of her younger brother. Between the years 1844 and 1865, Still helped at least 800 slaves escape to freedom. 5, Western Hemisphere. In addition, he studied with the avant-garde composer Edgard Varèse, who proved to be an important mentor. William Still was an African-American abolitionist who served as a conductor on the Underground Railroad, a businessman, and a civil rights activist. William Still died on July 14, 1902 in Philadelphia. In 1934 a Guggenheim fellowship enabled Still to devote himself entirely to composition.

Born free on Oct. 7, 1821, in Burlington County, New Jersey, William Still was the youngest of 18 children. Still will be played by actor Chris Chalk of Gotham and Lila and Eve fame.

Still made sure to keep these records private and hidden, but knew that they would be important when trying to reunite family members who had been separated under slavery. The journey grew longer in 1850, when Congress passed the Fugitive Slave Act. Abolitionist and writer William Still served an important role during the Underground Railroad movement. Like BlackAmericaWeb.com on Facebook. He was  initially hired as a clerk for the Pennsylvania Anti-Slavery Society.

Now that you’ve learned the little-known story of black abolitionist William Still, read about Juneteenth, the yearly celebration of African American emancipation from slavery in the U.S. Then, meet the Harlem hellfighters, the overlooked black heroes of World War I.

The work later received hundreds of performances in the United States and abroad.

William Still helped more than 800 enslaved people escape. He married Letitia George in the same year and had four children: Caroline Matilda, who became one of the first African-American women doctors in the US; William, who became a lawyer in Philadelphia; Robert, a journalist and print shop owner; and Frances, an educator. Meanwhile, William Still was born into freedom in Burlington County, New Jersey, a free state. William Still. Still was born free in Burlington County, New Jersey on October 7, 1821. His mother had to escape twice, after she was found and captured the first time. By continuing, you agree to our

By refusing to give up her seat on a segregated bus to a white passenger in 1955, the department store seamstress launched a major movement on the road to equality. As he grew older and more successful as a businessman, starting a coal delivery business, Still emerged as a leader of Philadelphia’s black community. Corrections? Copyright 2010 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved. "I was conductor of the Underground Railroad for eight years, and I can say what most conductors can't say,” she proudly said. To find out more, see our cookie policy. Worksheets / People / William Still Facts & Worksheets. READ MORE: Inside Harriet Tubman's Life of Service After the Underground Railroad. Those who helped escaped slaves move from station to station, like Harriet Tubman, were known as “conductors.” William Still, meanwhile, was a “station master.”. William Grant Still (1895-1978) has been called the dean of African American composers. Instead, she led a group of escaped bonds people. One of his older brothers died at the hands of his enslaver, while the other finally escaped from slavery when he was 50 with the help of the Pennsylvania Anti-Slavery Society. The Unbelievable Story Of William Still, The ‘Father Of The Underground Railroad’ Buried By History, William Still’s contributions to the Underground Railroad are included in the upcoming biopic ‘Harriet.’. The group formed a Vigilance Committee to help escapees who arrived in Philadelphia and Still was a vital component of the group. Researchers Traced The Ancestral Homeland Of Modern Humans To Botswana, Chris The Sheep, Once The World's Wooliest, Has Died, What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch. © 2020 Biography and the Biography logo are registered trademarks of A&E Television Networks, LLC. He majored in science at Wilberforce University but soon found himself composing, arranging, and conducting the school band. Using his influence, Still helped to bring the first YMCA for Blacks to the city and helped fund an orphanage, among other notable acts. William Grant Still (1895-1978) has been called the dean of African American composers. After publishing his book The Underground Railroad Records in 1872, he became known as the “Father of the Underground Railroad”, with his book proving to be a vital source of history. They had four children. Still, William, 1821-1902: Title: The Underground Railroad A Record of Facts, Authentic Narratives, Letters, &c., Narrating the Hardships, Hair-Breadth Escapes and Death Struggles of the Slaves in Their Efforts for Freedom, As Related by Themselves and Others, or Witnessed by the Author. His later works, such as The

Yet, in point of courage, shrewdness and disinterested exertions to rescue her fellow-men, by making personal visits to Maryland among the enslaved, she was without her equal.”, He went on to praise her success as “wonderful,” noting her multiple journeys into the danger zone. There were homes and businesses which secretly became “stations” along the route toward the north, harboring fugitive slaves temporarily before they could move on to the next safe place. Born into slavery in Maryland with the name Araminta Harriet Ross, Tubman herself escaped to freedom, thanks to the Underground Railroad.

Among those she saved were her parents and siblings. In his early years he took violin lessons and was exposed to a wide variety of music, ranging from spirituals and hymns to opera. Throughout his distinguished career he composed in many styles, frequently utilizing black motifs.

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