Plot Synopsis

Narrated by Clark Johnson, UNDERGROUND RAILROAD: THE SECRET HISTORY is a four-part documentary that chronicles stories about the Underground Railroad, focusing on Freedom Seekers and their allies, along with the stories of those who risked their lives in the ultimate pursuit of freedom, and the ingenious methods used to achieve liberty. The Underground Railroad had to operate in secrecy to be successful; therefore, little written documentation about these journeys exists. Now, new technology and extensive research reveal that its path not only led North -- from Southern U.S. states where slavery was legal into free Northern states and Canada. But it also took surprising turns to the South, all the way into Florida, Mexico and the Caribbean. The details uncovered also show that stops in the North often proved as dangerous as those in the states from which Freedom Seekers fled. From secret hideaways located in graveyards just outside of the nation's capital and underground tunnels originally built by George Washington, to a refuge deep in a swamp, the series uses thermal drones, LiDAR, GPR and GIS to map and record the hidden underground tunnels, remote caves and thriving yet isolated communities used by Freedom Seekers escaping enslavement. Across the series, descendants of Freedom Seekers add insight with their family history, passed down from generation to generation, supplemented with commentary by archaeologists including Dr. Justin Dunnavant of UCLA, Dr. Ayana Omilade Flewellen of UC Riverside, Dr. Cheryl LaRoche of the University of Maryland, Dr. Dan Sayers of American University, Jeffrey Shanks of the National Park Service and Dr. Terrance Weik of University of South Carolina; as well as historians and academics including Anthony Cohen, President of the Menare Foundation, Lisa Fager of the Mt. Zion-FUBS Foundation, Dr. Maria Hammack of University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Cassandra Newby-Alexander of Norfolk State University, Dr. Rolonda Teal of Steven F. Austin State University and Dr. Javier Wallace of Duke University. These experts share their research and discoveries, giving valuable context to these stories and helping to solidify the legacies of those who sought freedom on the Underground Railroad.

The series premiere travels South into Florida, Texas and Mexico. Archaeologists unravel the mystery of a free Black fort in Florida that was nearly erased from history by the U.S. military. After two centuries, little evidence of its existence can be seen at the site today. What can the latest technology reveal about the people who lived in this stronghold and its ultimate demise? And in Texas, oral tradition points to nature as an important resource, and now, thermal drones are uncovering Texas caves that provided shelter to those heading toward the treacherous Rio Grande on the way to Mexico.