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The Underground Railroad. Pages 486-488. 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.
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The Underground Railroad Pages 486-488
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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 night’s journey.
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.
Harriet Tubman • Harriet helped recruit soldiers for John Brown’s raid at Harper’s Ferry. • Harriet was known as the “Moses of her people.” • Harriet Tubman died at the age of 93 in 1913.
