While circumstantial evidence is an important beginning, in order to arrive at something that can be given as a "fact," we must strive to do one of two things:

1) Build a very, very strong case with such a preponderance of circumstantial evidence that few other conclusions make sense, or

2) Use the circumstantial evidence as clues to find primary documentation.

Anita Wills has done both in her new book.

I used to agree with the statement that little primary documentation of Underground Railroad activity existed, but Karen James of the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission proved me wrong. She has turned up huge amounts of documents and overlooked primary sources that have been largely ignored by previous historians--mostly arrest documents, court cases and other documents related to the legal proceedings. In many cases, Underground Railroad participation can be proven and documented. We do, however, have to accept the fact that there will be times when no documentation exists, and we can do no more than state that family lore (or local lore) supports the existence of URR participation. To state something as fact when we only believe it to be true is irresponsible because it invites ridicule from serious historians.

Here in central Pennsylvania, stories of Underground Railroad participation are everywhere. Around Harrisburg, there are numerous houses whose owners claim that they were used as hiding places for the URR, simply because the owners found a cold cellar or a boarded up crawlspace. Local historians dutifully check these stories out, only to find that the house was built after the Civil War, or else had no evidential link to URR activity. Very, very few prove promising enough to warrent further investigation. This problem has plagued URR historians for decades, and will only get worse as the topic becomes more popular and even "trendy." (I note that many of the recent URR stories are coming from Bed and Breakfasts, in an obvious attempt to use our history for commercial purposes.)

My point is that while firm documentation is difficult, we must stick with the proven methods or Underground Railroad history will continue to be perceived as folklore. The fact that African Americans were usually the backbone of the operation has only been accepted by mainstream historians because diligent researchers bothered to find proof. That is why Anita Wills' book is so important--it takes the time to build up a solid case. Bravo, Anita!