The UNDERGROUND RAILROAD THE�STORY�OF�FREEDOMS�TRAIL in 1926, an African-American Historian Named Carter G

The UNDERGROUND RAILROAD THE�STORY�OF�FREEDOMS�TRAIL in 1926, an African-American Historian Named Carter G

the UNDERGROUND RAILROAD THESTORYOFFREEDOMSTRAIL In 1926, an African-American historian named Carter G. Woodson had an idea to organize an annual celebration to commemorate the birthdays of President Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. President Lincoln, of course, freed the slaves, while president, with the Emancipation Proclamation. Douglass was an escaped slave who bought his freedom and spoke against slavery. People such as Douglass were called abolitionists because they wanted to abolish, or do away, with slavery. Carter G. Woodson called his celebration “Negro History Week.” Ever since its beginning, Americans have been celebrating the contributions of African- Americans each year. Today, this celebration occurs during the month of February as Black History Month. This special student guide was developed as part of the cel- Frederick ebration. It tells the story of the Underground Railroad. It is dedicated to those Douglass African-Americans who fought for their freedom and the freedom of others. is known 4 Richard Allen and as one of A Taste of History The Free African Society the most The Underground Railroad: The Story of Freedom's Trail tells of the peo- important ple, places and events involved in the Underground Railroad. Each page fea- 6 Diary of a African- tures writings and pictures to study. Many of these writings are from actual Fugitive’s Fate American historic documents. 7 Women’s Roles abolitionists Historians use these kinds of materials to learn about the past. We encour- during age you to become historians by doing the activities Father of the on each page that will help you understand the topic in a fun and interesting 8 the 1800s. Underground Railroad way. These activities are called A Job for the History Detective. Get started, and good luck in your detective work! 9 Underground Railroad Code Words 10 Abolitionist Robert Purvis 11 Burning of Teachers: Pennsylvania Hall During the month of February, this section can be used as an 12 Henry “Box” Brown’s introduction to the topic of the Underground Railroad for Black History Story of Freedom Month. It can also be used to complement a unit on the Underground Railroad in history or social studies texts at other times. It is not meant 13 The Other to be used in just one class period, but to be saved and enjoyed over Underground Railroad a longer period of time. Students can use the pages for group activities, 14 Harriet Tubman individual reading, or as homework assignments. Escapes to Freedom 15 The Drinking Gourd 2 The Underground Railroad was developed around 1831 by abolitionists, the people who fought slavery through action and worked to abolish it. Some abolitionists gave anti-slavery speeches or published anti-slavery newspapers. Some worked on the Underground Railroad as conductors, guiding slaves along secret routes to the North. The Railroad's stations were safe houses along the way where, against the laws that existed at the time, conductors secretly fed, sheltered, and advised runaway slaves. These abolitionists were both black and white, men and women. It was the combined efforts of all abolitionists that finally made possible the complete emancipation of Southern slaves. Long before the Civil War, attitudes about slavery divided the North and the South. Attitudes also were divided by geography along a boundary known as the Mason-Dixon Line. This line was actually the border between the states of Pennsylvania and Maryland. It got its name from the men who had surveyed and mapped the land. But this line took on greater impor- tance as the debate over slavery heated up. It came to be regarded as the boundary between free states in the North and slave states in the South. During the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln led the North in its efforts to end slavery in the South. Jefferson Davis, president of the Southern states’ Confederacy, led the South Abraham Lincoln became a hero to in its efforts to continue slavery. abolitionists by freeing slaves with the Lincoln, however, was still recognized as the official President of the United States of America Emancipation Proclamation in 1862. during this time. States that were a part of the Union either abolished or ended slavery. African- Americans living in these states became freemen. On March 1, 1780, Pennsylvania passed the Act for the Gradual Abolition of Slavery. This act con- demned slavery in the State of Pennsylvania, making that state one of the first in the new nation to do so. The law stated that no child born after this date could Newspapers are the first rough draft be a slave, and that children born to slaves before this of history. You can learn much from date were bound to service only until they were 28 them about great issues. Consider years old. freedom. What does freedom mean It also stated that all slaves had to be registered and that African-Americans charged with crimes to you? There are signs, symbols and were to be tried in courts just as anyone else living in words of freedom all around you. Pennsylvania. This Act was amended on March 29, Scan today's Houston Chronicle and 1788, to include the following: make a list of things that show the . Slaves of immigrants were freedoms Americans have. Note the to be freed page numbers and discuss the sym- bols as a class. Then clip out the signs . Slaves were not to be removed from their homes without giving their con- and words of freedom you found. sent before two justices Assemble the words and images into an art collage titled Freedom. Children who had to do service until Display your collages on a bulletin they were 28 years old were to be reg- board. istered and were not to be separated from their parents . Slave trading was against the law 3 The Mother Bethel African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) Church was founded by the Reverend Richard Allen in 1787. It is the oldest African Methodist Episcopal church established by African-Americans in the United States. It is located in Philadelphia. The same year of the church's founding, Richard Allen joined two other prominent African-Americans, James Forten and Absalom Jones, to found the Free African Society. This society fought for the rights of African-Americans to worship freely in Philadelphiaat that time. The Mother Bethel A.M.E. Church was also an important Underground Railroad stop. The Reverend The Christian Recorder was the official newspaper of the Mother Bethel Richard Allen A.M.E. Church. The newspaper published articles for its members about co-founded the Underground Railroad, the abolition of slavery, and religion. the Free African One of the things that gave Southern slaves hope was that attitudes in Society to fight for the North started changing early about slavery. Early Northern slave own- the right of African- ers sometimes freed, or emancipated, their slaves. On the facing page is an Americans to article from the Christian Recorder about emancipated slaves. worship freely. 4 l. What year was the article written? _________________________________________________ 2. What is the article about? ________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ 3. How many slaves were emancipated?_______________________________________________ 4. Why were the slaves freed?_______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ 5. Who owned the slaves and where did he live?________________________________________ Historical documents give us clues about the ______________________________________________________________________________ past and important 6. What did the slave owner leave to his slaves when he died?____________________________ information about a historical topic. Answer ______________________________________________________________________________ these questions about the ______________________________________________________________________________ article from the Christian 7. What were some of the jobs of the slaves?__________________________________________ Recorder on the lower right about emancipated ______________________________________________________________________________ slaves. Doing this history 8. Where were the slaves relocated and how did they get there? detective work will help you learn how some ______________________________________________________________________________ slaves were freed by ______________________________________________________________________________ their owners. 9. Do you think it was common for owners to free their slaves?____________________________ FREEDOM in the news Freedom of speech is a very important part of being free. Freedom of the press allows people to print or broadcast their free speech. Slaves had neither of these freedoms. Freedom of speech is often used to speak out for people’s rights. Find a story in the Houston Chronicle in which newsmakers are working to protect people’s rights. Write a sentence stating what rights are involved. Write a second stating why these rights are important to freedom. 5 DIARY OF A FUGITIVE’S FATE In this excerpt from her diary, Charlotte Forten describes what it was like during the trial of a fugitive slave in 1859. Charlotte Forten was granddaughter of James Forten, one of the founders of the Free African Society. In her diary, Charlotte Forten mentions Robert Purvis, who is her uncle and an impor- tant abolitionist. She later

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