The Underground Railroad

Members of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) came to Blount County in the 1790s looking for a place to worship in peace. Hardworking and industrious, opposing war and slavery, they developed the land and founded the prosperous settlements of Unity (now Unitia) and Friendsville. During the Civil War, Friendsville Quakers participated in the Underground Railroad to help conscientious objectors, Unionists, and runaway slaves flee to the North. The Friends raised money at their meetings to help slaves escape to freedom.