Chapter 4, In a Free State Summary

Black Philadelphia was an impressive community for newly arrived fugitive slaves. The streets bustled and black businesses crowded streets and alleys. By 1850, more free blacks lived in the region than in all other states. In Philadelphia, 20,000 free blacks resided here by 1847. Only a small proportion of Philadelphia's black population was born there. For those fleeing North, Philadelphia was the first stop on the road to freedom.

Tubman and other fugitives who reached Philadelphia were happy to arrive. One of the oldest abolitionist societies, the Pennsylvania Society for the Promotion of the Abolition of Slavery, was headquartered here. The city was also a draw for black reformers. Tubman was awed by the freedoms that black Philadelphians enjoyed, including mobility and economic opportunities.

Soon after her arrival, Tubman found work and supported herself. The city was probably...