Thomas Garrett (1783-1871), a resident of Wilmington, Delaware, commenced his work helping fugitives in the 1820s. Garrett unabashedly gave life to his abolitionist ideals. He used his wife’s family fortune (she was from a banking family) to fund the freedom of more than fourteen hundred fugitives, whom he typically delivered into the hands of the Philadelphia Vigilance Committee. Garrett was a persistent, reliable resource for the Underground Railroad — Harriet Tubman herself frequently appeared at his door for assistance. In 1848, Garrett was convicted of illegally assisting six slaves. He was fined fifteen hundred dollars. The setback was minor at best, however, and by the mid-1850s, he had redoubled his efforts.
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