David Ruggles

David Ruggles (1810–1849) was an African American abolitionist, writer, publisher, and organizer based in New York City. A leading figure in the Underground Railroad, he helped protect and assist freedom seekers and confronted kidnappers who targeted Black New Yorkers. In 1835 he founded the New York Committee of Vigilance, an organization that provided legal aid and practical support to people threatened by enslavement. Ruggles also worked in print, using pamphlets and newspapers to argue against slavery and racial injustice. His activism made him a prominent voice in the antislavery movement before his death in 1849.