American Experience: Roots of Resistance - A Story of the Underground Railroad  (1989)

Theatrical Release Information:
American Experience: Roots of Resistance - A Story of the Underground Railroad

Before the Civil War broke out, and during it as well, the "Underground Railroad" operated as an effective, secret network for African-Americans to escape the bonds of slavery. Produced and directed by Orlando Bagwell, this installment of the award-winning PBS series The American Experience chronicles the workings of the Underground Railroad, from its creation and support by ex-slaves and white abolitionists, to helping modern viewers get a sense of what it was actually like to risk life to make a dash for freedom in the darkness. The "passengers" on this railroad placed their faith in guides such as the remarkable Harriet Tubman (a former slave) and with the people whose homes formed the stations along the route. Highlights include daguerreotypes, commentary by historians and interviews with descendants of slaves and slave owners of a plantation in North Carolina. Bagwell has produced numerous documentaries for PBS, including American Experience: Malcolm X -- Make It Plain. ~ Steve Blackburn, All Movie Guide