During the late 18th Century, a network of secret routes was created in America, which by the 1840s had been coined the 'Underground Railroad. You can read about Harriet Tubman when she was a little girl who dreamed of freedom in Minty written by Alan Schroeder. A secret network that helped slaves find freedom. The most famous conductor, Harriet Tubman, was a former slave who risked her freedom by returning to the South hundreds of times to lead slaves safely northward. The people who helped slaves also faced great danger, but they continued to help because they believed slavery was wrong. Slaves who tried to escape risked punishment, being caught and returned to slavery, or even being killed. Prior to 1850, fugitive slaves who escaped from the southern United States to the northern states were considered to be free. That is far fewer than the estimated 30,000 to 100,000 enslaved. Safe houses where runaway slaves could rest for a few days before moving on were known as "stations."Įveryone who participated in the Underground Railroad was very brave. From the 1830s up to emancipation, she estimates 3,000 to 5,000 enslaved people fled south and crossed over to free Mexican soil. "Agents" worked to free the slaves by making them new clothes, collecting money for food and medicine, teaching them to read and write or making speeches to convince people that slavery was wrong. Slaves traveling on the Underground Railroad were called "passengers." "Conductors" helped guide slaves to freedom. Copyright © 2002 Smithsonian National Museum of American History | Courtesy of the Library of Congress.
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