The Railroad to Freedom

Last updated December 17, 2025

The Railroad to Freedom: A Story of the Civil War
Author	Hildegarde Swift
Illustrator	James Daugherty
Language	English
Genre	Children's literature / historical fiction
Publisher	Harcourt
Publication date	1932
Publication place	United States

The Railroad to Freedom: A Story of the Civil War is a 1932 children's historical fiction book written by Hildegarde Swift and illustrated by James Daugherty. It is a fictionalized biography of Araminta Ross (later known as Harriet Tubman) from 1833 to the end of the U.S. Civil War, covering her early life as a slave and her later work on the Underground Railroad.^[1] The book earned a Newbery Honor in 1933, Hildegard's second Honor after Little Blacknose in 1929.^[2]

References

↑ Gillespie, John T.; Naden, Corinne J., eds. (2006). The Newbery/Printz Companion: Book Talk and Related Materials (3rd ed.). Libraries Unlimited. ISBN 1-59158-313-6.
↑ "Association for Library Service to Children - Newbery Medal Winners & Honor Books, 1922 – Present" (PDF). ALA.org. Retrieved December 14, 2025.

Harriet Tubman

Events

Locations

Family

John Tubman (husband)
Nelson Charles Davis (husband)
Ben Ross (father)
Harriet "Rit" Ross (mother)

Legacy

Parks and museums	Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park visitor center Harriet Tubman Memorial Garden Harriet Tubman Museum Harriet Tubman National Historical Park Harriet Tubman Park Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park Salem Chapel National Historic Site
Homages and memorials	Harriet Tubman Day Harriet Tubman Square statue Harriet Tubman Memorial (Boston) Michigan statue Harriet Tubman Memorial (New York City) SS Harriet Tubman Harriet Tubman School Harriet Tubman commemorative coins
Literature and film	Harriet, the Moses of her People (1868 biography, revised 1886 and 1901) The Railroad to Freedom: A Story of the Civil War (1932 book) A Woman Called Moses (1976 novel) A Woman Called Moses (1978 miniseries) The Quest for Freedom (1992 film) Minty: A Story of Young Harriet Tubman (1996 book) Harriet (2019 film) The Good Lord Bird (2020 miniseries) Combee: Harriet Tubman, the Combahee River Raid, and Black Freedom During the Civil War (2024 book)

v t e Underground Railroad
People	William Brinkley John Brown Owen Brown Samuel Burris Levi Coffin Richard Dillingham Frederick Douglass Calvin Fairbank Isaac S. Flint Thomas Garrett Frances Harper Laura Smith Haviland David Hudson Daniel Hughes Peg Leg Joe William Cooper Nell Harriet Forten Purvis Robert Purvis John Rankin Hetty Reckless Gerrit Smith William Still Calvin Ellis Stowe Harriet Beecher Stowe Charles Turner Torrey Harriet Tubman Delia Webster
Places	List of Underground Railroad sites houses churches Underground Railroad in Indiana British Methodist Episcopal Church, Salem Chapel
Events	Emeline and Samuel Hawkins flight (1845) Pearl incident (1848) Kentucky raid in Cass County (1847) The South Bend Fugitive Slave Case (1849) Christiana Riot (1851) Jerry Rescue (1851) Uncle Tom's Cabin (1852 book) Joshua Glover rescue (1854) Dred: A Tale of the Great Dismal Swamp (1856 book) Dover Eight (1857) Oberlin–Wellington Rescue (1858) Tilly Escape (1856) Ann Maria Jackson and her seven children (1859) Thirteenth Amendment (1865)
Topics	Abolitionism in the United States Abolitionism opponents of slavery African-American opponents publications Fugitive slaves Fugitive slave laws 1850 Quilts Reverse Underground Railroad Signals lawn jockey Slave catcher Songs of the Underground Railroad The Underground Railroad Records (1872 book)
Related	National Underground Railroad Freedom Center Harriet Tubman Memorial (Boston) Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park visitor center Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center Underground Railroad Bicycle Route The Railroad to Freedom: A Story of the Civil War (1932 book) A Woman Called Moses (1978 miniseries) Roots of Resistance (1989 documentary) The Quest for Freedom (1992 film) Freedom: The Underground Railroad (2013 board game) The North Star (2016 film) Underground (2016 TV series) Harriet (2019 film) The Underground Railroad (2021 miniseries)
See also: Slavery in the United States and Slavery in Canada

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