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Journey to Freedom: The Underground Railroad Story

Discover the historical context of slavery and the Underground Railroad, including the brave efforts of Harriet Tubman. Learn about the coded language, risks, and struggles faced by escaped slaves. Uncover the importance of safe houses and the impactful role of various individuals in this vital chapter of American history.

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Journey to Freedom: The Underground Railroad Story

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  1. Stealing Freedom By Elisa Carbone

  2. Historical Background- Slavery • 1619- 1st Africans arrive in Jamestown, Virginia. Some are indentured servants and some are slaves. • Indentured servants can buy their freedom after specified period of time. • Slaves can never buy their freedom. Owners “property” • 1714- South Carolina orders death penalty for runaway slaves.

  3. Slavery and Underground Railroad • 1793- Fugitive Slave Law passed- slave owners may seize fugitives in any state. • 1808- Abolishes trade in slaves from Africa. • 1850- Second Fugitive Slave Law passed. • Illegal to help an escaped slave and fugitives may be returned from state to state. • Harriet Tubman begins her work with the Underground Railroad.

  4. Underground Railroad • What is it? • Secret network of safe houses, which provided cover to runaway slaves as they traveled northward. • Was not underground nor a railroad. It is a coded language. • Fugitives traveled by foot, horseback, horse-drawn cart, train, and boat. • VERY dangerous for both the “workers” and the runaways.

  5. Typical Underground Railroad Workers? • Blacks • Whites • Southerners • Northerners • Farmers • City dwellers • Men • Women • Children • Former slaves Harriet Tubman with escaped slaves at an Underground Rail Road station.

  6. Harriet Tubman • Born into slavery in Maryland • Escaped to Philadelphia on the Underground Railroad • Devoted freedom to helping other slaves escape • Estimated that she assisted around 300 slaves in nearly 20 trips

  7. Why run? • Slaves ran when they learned they’d be sold to the deep South. • Mississippi and Alabama had reputations as being specifically difficult to survive • Ran after violent beatings • If s/he had been cheated

  8. The Trip North • Anywhere from a few days to a year-depending on where you started, mode of transportation, and luck • Only ate what you could forage- nuts, berries, fish, and wild rabbits • Hide in forests, swamps, and caves • If you hooked up with the Underground Railroad you could receive food, money, clothes and most importantly shelter.

  9. Safe House • Could be identified by numerous signs: • Quilts hanging on clotheslines • Lamps burning in windows • Rows of white bricks built into chimneys

  10. Secrecy = Necessary • Railroad workers risked • Community ridicule • Loss of business • Personal safety • Owners ran ads describing runaways and offering rewards • Some people made a living tracking down runaway slaves

  11. Escaped Slave Ads • http://civics.sites.unc.edu/files/2012/04/SlaveRunaways.pdf • What skills did the person possess? • How did slave owners treat the person? • How did the person escape? • Why did the person choose to run away? • Did the person resist in additional ways beyond escaping?

  12. Special Coded Language • Underground Railroad developed special coded language for communication purposes. Travelers – “packages” Places where people stayed – “stations” People who helped travelers find the next station – “conductors” Hosted the runaways – “station masters”

  13. Underground Railroad • Estimated number of how many slaves escaped- 40,000 to 100,000 • Thought that more men escaped because women were reluctant to leave their children • Shut down after Civil War

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