The American Experience--Roots Of Resistance: A Story Of The Underground Railroad

This recent episode of the highly acclaimed PBS series The American Experience is an excellent tracing of the rise of the underground railroad during the mid-1800s, which transported many a slave to freedom in the north. The program opens with interview clips of black and white descendants from Somerset Place, a sprawling North Carolina plantation. Although these anecdotes about slave life don't really tie into the main story, they do serve to illuminate the trials and tribulations that slaves underwent. Following this, the early history of black rebellion is covered from the maniacal raid on Harpers Ferry by John Brown (who was white) to the violence which resulted from the Fugitive Slave Act (an act which allowed slave owners to come north and legally retrieve their "property"). Increased repression by the white owners led to increased rebellion from the slaves, and soon a number of sympathizers set up safe houses between the south and the north, and the underground "railroad" was born. Harriet Tubman, one of the key figures in the movement, would return to the south--at great personal risk--some fifteen times to lead approximately 300 people to freedom. Narrated by actress Ruby Dee, Roots of Resistance shares the excellent pacing, attention to detail, and creative use of visuals which characterize the other programs in The American Experience series. Highly recommended. (Available from: PBS Video, 1320 Braddock Place, Alexandria, VA 22314-1698.)