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Home , Frederick Douglass, Slave catcher, The Fugitive (season 2), Underground Railroad

The Mitten A Publication of History magazine SPRING 2001

carriages. They often wore THE UndergroundUnderground disguises. Railroad terms, like “depot” and “conduc- tor,” were code words. In most towns in south- ern Michigan there were RAILROADRAILROAD conductors, or people, who helped protect those running

he “Underground Routes of the away from . Slaves Railroad” meant Underground were hidden in homes or Railroad Tfreedom for thou- barns during the day. These sands of slaves in the places were called depots. At South. The Underground MICHIGAN night, they went to a depot in Railroad was not a real the next town. Some of the Port Huron

Marshall railroad; it was the name Ann Arbor slaves went to Canada. Battle Creek Jackson given to the route of roads Schoolcraft Some chose to stay in Cassopolis Hillsdale Adrian Michigan South City and homes used to help Bend Michigan. slaves escape from their southern masters. Many slaves escaped to the north- ern and Evansville

Canada where they could KENTUCKY be free. Many slaves came to Michigan from Kentucky. Escaping was dangerous. If they were caught, slaves were often whipped or beaten and made to wear chains. Many who made it to the North worked to help other slaves escape through the . The routes they took were kept

secret. Escaping slaves, or Cincinnati Museum of Art fugitives, traveled by foot, This painting shows slaves escaping on the Underground Railroad horse, train or even fancy during winter. The Crosswhites dam Crosswhite and the house. They his family escaped stopped the from slavery in Kentuckians KentuckyA and settled near while Adam, his Marshall in Calhoun County. wife and their Adam feared that slave four children catchers from Kentucky escaped by train might come to Michigan to to Detroit and take him and his family back. then to Canada. He told his neighbors of a sig- The Ken- nal he would use in case of tuckians were danger. The signal was a shot angry. They This handbill fired from a gun. went to court. was given out in Detroit in 1853. State Archives of Michigan One morning in 1847 the The Marshall It asked people to donate farm tools to slaves who neighbors heard the signal people were had escaped across the to Canada. and ran to his house. At the charged with door were four Kentucky keeping them from men. They had come to take taking back their legal prop- catchers to go to free the Crosswhites back to slav- erty. The Marshall people had states to find escaped slaves. ery. A group of one hundred to pay money to the slave Many people in Michigan dis- blacks and whites gathered at owners. But the Crosswhites agreed with this law, so in were safe in Canada. 1855 Michigan passed anoth- In 1850 the United States er law that said state and passed Slave Act. local officials could not help This law strengthened an slave catchers. The Under- existing law that made it ille- ground Railroad ended when gal for people to help slaves started escape and allowed slave in 1861.

SOJOURNER TRUTH escaped from slavery in New in 1827. Later she made her home in Battle Creek. As an abolitionist, she made powerful speeches against slavery. After the Civil War she traveled across the country speak-

ing out for the rights of blacks and women.

istorical Society of Battle Creek Battle of Society istorical H DETROIT For tours write to: ichigan's first Take your Schoolcraft Historical MAfrican Society, P.O. Box 638, American congrega- Schoolcraft, Michigan 49087. tion was started at PARENTS the Second Baptist Church in 1836 by to Michigan’s thirteen former slaves. Located near Underground the Canadian border, the church was an important stop on Railroad Underground Railroad the Underground Monument Railroad. A room in SITES! Roger L. Rosentreter the church where BATTLE CREEK slaves hid is now used to KALAMAZOO he Underground teach about the Underground he Dr. Nathan Thomas Railroad Monument Railroad. Leaders of the T House was the home of honors the thousands of abolitionist movement, such T slaves who risked their lives two of Michigan's most active as , John to find freedom in the North. Underground Railroad partic- Brown, and Frederick The man shown on the ipants. Between 1840 and Douglass, were involved with memorial is Erastus Hussey. 1860 Nathan and his wife, the church. In 1838, at age He was a conductor. Erastus Pamela, helped more than and his wife, Sarah, helped twenty, 1,000 fugitive slaves. Dr. more than 1,000 slaves fled from slavery in Mary- Thomas took the fugitives to escape. , the land. Through his speeches Erastus Hussey, who lived in woman shown on the memo- and writings against slavery Battle Creek. The Thomas rial, was called the Black he became a famous aboli- House is at 613 East Cass Moses because she helped tionist. Douglass gave an Street in Schoolcraft. many slaves find freedom. antislavery speech Harriet made nineteen trips at the Second Baptist south, helping three hundred church in Detroit in slaves escape. During the 1859. The Second Civil War Harriet was a Baptist Church's Union scout and a nurse. The Underground Railroad address is 441 Monument is in Linear Park Monroe Street, just between Capitol Avenue and east of the intersec- Division Street in Battle tion of Gratiot Creek. While in Battle Creek, Avenue and Wood- you can also visit the Sojour- ward Avenue in ner Truth Monument locat-

Detroit. Meredith Darryl ed in Monument Park. Sojourner Truth Monument Vocabulary What Did WORDS 9 You Learn? Abolitionist: A person who speaks out against slavery 1. What was a “depot?” and works to end it. a. a safe house where escaped slaves could rest Conductor: A person who b. a place to deposit money for the abolitionist movement helped escaped slaves along c. a jail where escaped slaves were held their route. Who was Adam Crosswhite? Depot: A safe house where 2. escaping slaves, or “passen- a. a from Kentucky gers,” could rest. b. an abolitionist c. an escaped slave who moved to Michigan with his family Free State: A state where slavery had ended or had What did the Fugitive Slave Act do? never been an institution. 3. a. allowed escaped slaves to be free Fugitive: A person b. it made it illegal for people to help slaves escape escaping. c. it made slavery legal in Michigan Handbill: A printed piece of paper that is handed out for BONUS: information. What Michigan city is the Underground Railroad Memorial: Something that Monument in? commemorates a person or an event. a. Battle Creek b. Grand Rapids c. Detroit

Slave catcher: A person who captured escaped slaves Find the SYBNRENRUOJOSGDWAHOT and returned them to their following owners. They were often paid EDEAKMHGETIHWSSORCGV UNDERGROUND in reward money. RAILROAD UOA S CKR SDLFHMARSHA LL words Underground Railroad: A secret network of “stations” KUGI STEAIUFFYREVAL SZ ABOLITIONIST and safe houses that helped SLAVERY R GP N I UPOGNGXPWMNGX SK fugitive slaves find sanctuary CROSSWHITE in free states or Canada. ELNLAZHICONDUCTORPEL SOJOURNER DOUGLASS The Mitten is produced by the staff of AACMMGTTSINOIT ILOBAE Michigan History magazine, which is FUGITIVE part of the Michigan Historical Center, FREEDOM Michigan Department of State. FSSNPIDAJEJGOETGAUCW HUSSEY For more information, contact GSI QVSTPWGNUDFCSGI VL Michigan History magazine at MARSHALL (517) 373-3703 or visit us on-line at CONDUCTOR www.sos.state.mi.us/history/mag X BL EVQHOFREEDOMGTBEM