William M. Mitchell facts for kids
William M. Mitchell was an American writer and minister. He was also an abolitionist, meaning he worked to end slavery. He helped people escape slavery through the Underground Railroad. Mitchell is special because he wrote about the Underground Railroad when it was still a secret and against the law. He was born around 1826 and passed away around 1879.
Contents
Early Life and His Fight Against Slavery
Mitchell grew up as an orphan in North Carolina. When he was young, he worked for a plantation owner. This meant he had to help manage enslaved people.
In 1843, Mitchell became involved in the fight against slavery. He was part of a crowd that helped an enslaved man escape. This man had been caught by bounty hunters and was being taken back to his owners. The crowd scared the bounty hunters away, and the man became free. Mitchell later shared that a local pastor had told the bounty hunters about the man, hoping to get a reward.
Helping People Escape on the Underground Railroad
Mitchell was a very active supporter of the movement to help enslaved people escape. This movement smuggled people from the American South to Canada. This happened before the American Civil War began in the 1860s.
He said he was most active when he lived in Washington Court House, Ohio. His home there was a safe house. A safe house was a secret place where people escaping slavery could hide. A man named John Mason brought 265 escapees to Mitchell's home for safety.
Mitchell's Important Book
Mitchell is known for being one of the only writers to publish a book about the Underground Railroad while it was still a secret operation. Other writers, like Harriet Martineau and Joseph Sturge, had mentioned the idea earlier. However, they did not use the name "Underground Railroad."
Mitchell's book, called The Under-Ground Railroad, was published in London in 1860. The title helped make the name "Underground Railroad" more widely known. Important abolitionists, like William Howard Day and George Thompson, recommended his book.
Travels and Later Years
Mitchell was a minister in Toronto, Canada, with the American Baptist Free Mission Society. In 1859, he visited Britain with another minister, William Troy. They both wrote books and gave talks to anti-slavery groups. They traveled through Ireland, Scotland, and England, which were all part of the United Kingdom at the time. They also raised money for their churches in Canada. Mitchell was very thankful for the support he received from the Glasgow Emancipation Society.
Mitchell traveled to Great Britain again from 1863 to 1864. He continued his work, even after his daughter passed away. He is believed to have returned to America with his family. Records suggest he died before 1879, but we don't have many details about his final years.
Works
- The Under-Ground Railroad
