Before the Civil War, a network of people called an "underground railroad" helped African Americans escape from slavery in the South to freedom in the North. This History Channel program uses historical documents, interviews with descendants of u nderground railroad " conductors " and visits to stops along the route to chart the United States’ first civil rights movement. DVD includes " Frederick Douglass ", 42 minute A&E biography from 1994, directed by Craig Haffner . Hosted by Alfre Woodard.