The Underground Railroad

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The Underground Railroad

• Pages 486-488

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Another Way to Resist

• Running away was another way slaves chose to
  resist slavery.
• Some slaves ran away alone while others tried to
  escape with family or friends.
• Some planned their escape carefully while others
  would suddenly take a chance and quickly run away.

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Running Away

• Once slaves were away from their owners land,
  they had to find a safe place to hide.
• Many were helped by other slaves.
• Some were taken in by Indians.
• Others hid in swamps, forests, and mountains for
  years.
• Some runaways stayed in hiding while others tried
  to reach free states in the North, Canada, or
  Mexico.

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Fugitive Slave Law - 1850

• The Fugitive Slave Act was passed in 1850. It
  said that it was illegal for any citizen to
  assist an escaped slave and demanded that if an
  escaped slave was sighted, he or she should be
  apprehended and turned in to the authorities for
  deportation back to the "rightful" owner down
  south.

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Underground Railroad

• The Underground Railroad was not underground and
  it was not a real railroad.
• It was a system of escape routes leading to
  freedom.
• Most routes led from the South to the Northern
  states or Canada.
• Some routes led to Mexico and the Caribbean
  islands.

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Underground Railroad Codes

• Conductors Members of the Underground Railroad
• Baggage Escaping Slaves
• Freedom Train Underground Railroad
• River Jordan Mississippi River
• Station Safe House
• Drinking Gourd Big Dipper and North Star

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Working the Railroad

• Working on the railroad was a dangerous job.
• Conductors led runaways from one hiding place to
  another at night.
• Hiding places included barns, attics, and secret
  rooms.
• Once a slave reached a safe house, they could eat
  and rest, and prepare for the next nights
  journey.

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Levi and Catherine CoffinRailroad Conductors
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Coffin Home
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Harriet TubmanRailroad Conductor

• Harriet Tubman was born a slave in Maryland.
• She married John Tubman, who was a free man, in
  1844 but later left him.
• She escaped slavery in 1849 and became a
  conductor on the Underground Railroad.
• She helped more than 300 slaves escape to the
  North. Many were members of her family.

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Harriet Tubman

• Harriet helped recruit soldiers for John Browns
  raid at Harpers Ferry.
• Harriet was known as the Moses of her people.
• Harriet Tubman died at the age of 93 in 1913.

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Harriet Tubman with Runaways
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Reward Posters