Underground Railroad

Introduction

The Underground Railroad was made up of a series of safe houses and slave activists that made a great change in the history of slavery. The Underground Railroad was a very dangerous operation. The abolitionists always faced risking arrest and sometimes even faced risking their lives. So they created the Underground Railroad. (Donald, Underground 21) The Underground Railroad started operating as early as the 1500's. This was when the first Africans were brought to Spanish colonies in the New World as slaves. However the peak of the railroad lasted from around 1830 till 1860. The Underground Railroad was neither underground nor a railroad. It was a secret network of safe houses and people who were against slavery. The antislavery activists were blacks, whites, Native Americans, and Quakers. ("Story of the Underground Railroad") They played a very important part in helping slaves escape and become free. Every home that welcomed runaway slaves, every person who offered food or clothing, and every person that helped the slaves in any other way was considered a part of the Underground Railroad.

Underground Railroad

There were all types of terms and code words used in the Underground Railroad. The term, Underground Railroad, had supposedly originated when a slave, who had fled from his home, disappeared without a trace while being chased by his owner. His owner was left confused and wondered if the slave had "gone off on some underground road." ("Story of the Underground Railroad") Other names and terms also contributed to the name, the Underground Railroad. The homes and businesses where fugitives, or slaves, would rest and eat were called "stations". The stations were run by "stationmasters" and the people who supplied money or goods were "stockholders". The "conductors" were the people who moved and guided fugitives from one station to the next. And the fugitive slaves were known as "packages" or "freight." Many terms were used to relate to the theme of the Underground Railroad. (Donald, Underground 21)

During the 1800's, many of the slaves who had run away were forced to do labor in the fields. They endured harsh treatment from their owners and a hard working environment. They spent hours doing fieldwork for their owners. Most slaves lacked a proper diet, and each day they feared being beaten and of being sold away from their family and loved ones. Although all of this torture and suffering is what made slaves want to escape, the greatest motivator of all for them was their desire for liberty.

Slaves who tried to escape had it hard. They had to take many precautions, know what they were doing, and the routes of where they were headed. Runaway slaves sometimes dressed in disguise. Sometimes females dressed as males and males dressed as females. Some slaves were even fair-skinned African Americans passed as whites. Others pretended to deliver messages or goods for their masters. ("Story of the Underground Railroad") They would usually plan their escapes on weekends, holidays, or during harvest season. This was because they hoped to get ...