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Name: Edhelper Underground Railroad Name: edHelper Underground Railroad What do you think of when you hear the words "underground railroad"? Perhaps a train that runs deep under the ground? Actually, it was nothing like that. There were no engines or passenger cars, conductors or train stations like you would find with a real train. Instead, it was a loose system of people helping other people. You might wonder how this organization got its name. It was first described as a railroad in some printed material in the early 1840s. Passengers were runaway slaves. The shelters where they rested were the stations, and those who led them were conductors. It was not a highly organized system. Sometimes it was simply a stranger taking pity on another stranger, giving food, shelter, or a ride for a short time. Many of those who played major parts in the Underground Railroad were free blacks living in both the North and South. Sometimes escaping slaves received help from slaves on another plantation. The majority of help was not available until they reached a "free" state. On reaching the larger northern cities, the railroad became much more highly organized. Abolitionists of every race were the main sympathizers of the Underground Railroad. They were committed to ridding the country of slavery any way they could. While they did not help vast numbers of people to escape bondage, the steady trickle of escapees was more than irritating to the slave owners. It is estimated that of the approximately one million slaves, only a few thousand escaped every year between 1840 and 1860. Though small in number, the daring escapes were often exaggerated when reported in the various newspapers. In the early days of the Underground Railroad, many former slaves were grateful just to reach "free" soil. They were more than ready to start living the free life as soon as possible. For many it was a dream they had cherished their whole life. Harriet Tubman was one of those slaves. It did not take her long to become involved in rescuing as many people as possible. She is credited with leading close to 1,000 people to freedom. The last run was the most dangerous of all. Though the authorities were looking for her, she returned to her former plantation to rescue her parents. She wanted them to know freedom before the end of their lives. The Fugitive Slave Law of 1850 changed how many people reacted to runaway slaves. Anyone caught helping the runaways could be prosecuted. The runaway slaves themselves were no longer safe just getting to the northern states. Their journeys suddenly became longer and even more dangerous. Now they had to make it across the border to Canada. Name: edHelper Men like the Reverend Josiah Henson set up colonies in Ontario and Nova Scotia. These colonies were places where black families could live and learn farming skills or a trade. Josiah Henson established Canada's first African American newspaper, the "Voice of the Fugitive." It encouraged other fugitive slaves to settle in Canada. More than 3,000 people are estimated to have worked on the Underground Railroad. Some of them were well known names like Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass, and Susan B. Anthony. One of the strongest arguments many of the proslavery people used was that blacks were unable to look after themselves. That was refuted by Austin Steward, a former slave who lived in one of the Canadian slave colonies. He said, "The colored man can not only take care of himself, but is capable of improvement; as industrious and intelligent as themselves, when the yoke of slaver is taken from off their necks." The Underground Railroad was not a great success in rescuing the vast number of slaves held in bondage. It was extremely successful in giving hope to them, that one day they might be able to use it to win freedom, the most precious treasure of all. Underground Railroad Questions 1. The Underground Railroad was a highly organized system. A. True B. False 2. Many of those involved in the Underground Railroad were, A. Runaway slaves B. slaves C. Whites D. Free blacks 3. Why would the escape of a small percentage of slaves cause so much trouble? 4. Harriet Tubman was not important to the Underground Railroad. A. False B. True Name: edHelper 5. How did the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850 affect escaped slaves? A. It had no effect B. It made people angry with the law so they joined the anti-slavery cause. C. It ignited more protest D. It stopped slaves from escaping 6. The first Canadian African American newspaper was produced by, A. Austin Steward B. Frederick Douglass C. William Lloyd Garrison D. Josiah Henson 7. What might have happened if the Underground Railroad hadn't existed? 8. Why did so many escaped slaves move to Canada? A. Because of the 13th Amendment B. The Fugitive Slave Law of 1850 C. The Underground Railroad didn't stop until it reached the border. D. They liked the climate better edHelper Name: How many of these can you write about? Think! Write! Check all the ones you answered. You are a member of the Underground Railroad. A small group of runaway slaves has come to your home to be hidden. All goes well until a neighbor who is not sympathetic to the cause becomes suspicious. What do you do? If you were a slave who was planning to runaway, what kind of plans would you make? How would you know when the time was right to leave? Don't stop writing. Use a blank piece of paper to continue..
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