The Underground Railroad

By. Brittany Gronda

What is the Underground Railroad?

This was a network of secret routes and safe houses used by 19th century black salves in the U.S. to escape to the free states in the North and to CanadaSome routes also led to Mexico and Florida (the Spanish still had possession)Abolitionists (who were usually black) aided the fugitive slaves

*These are the main and well known routes, fugitive slaves

could follow their own route or do something

other than these*

Some Main Stations

Albany, NYBoston, MACamden, DEWilmington, DEPhiladelphia, PARochester, NY

How long did the Underground Railroad

exist?The U.R. was created in 1780 and ended in 1862 when the United States Constitution outlawed slavery

Who Started it all?

It is said that a Quaker man named Isaac T. Hopper began the system of hiding and assisting fugitive slaves

Physical Cruelties of Slavery

Whippings Sometimes getting beaten with objects like a chair, broom, tongs, shovel, shears, knife handles, the heavy end of a woman’s shoe, and an oak club.Cutting limbs offBeing shotIn some instances, even death

Social Cruelties of Slavery

32% of slave marriages were ended by masters when the slaves were tradedChildren were separated form their familiesMasters did not want their slaves to practice any type of religionLiving conditions were bad Food was scarceClothing was unfavorable and limited

Methods of learning about/following the URR

SongsDancesQuiltsThe StarsWord of mouthCode Words

SongsFollow the Drinking Gourd

(follow the big dipper)Go Down MosesLet Us Break Bread TogetherSwing Low, Sweet ChariotSteal Away (To Jesus)Wade in the WaterSong to the Free

Follow the Drinking Gourd

This is probably the most well known song about the Underground RailroadThere are also many different versionsExamples:

H.B. Parks VersionLee Hays ArrangementRandy Sparks ArrangementJohn Woodum Version

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pw6N_eTZP2U&feature=related

Quilts

Since slaves could not read or write, they memorized these symbols that would help guide them on the URRRegular quilts without meaning were always seen hanging outside to dry on the plantation so to the owners the code quilts were nothing out of the norm and didn’t really look into what the quilts really meant

*This is an example of a route explained in a quilt*

Flying GeeseThis pattern meant to follow the direction of the flying geese as they migrated north in the spring (most slaves escaped during the spring)The flying geese could be used as a guide to find water, food and places to rest

Crossroads

This was a pattern referring to Cleveland, Ohio, which was the main crossroads of multiple routes to freedom.

North Star

This pattern had two messages:

prepare to escape follow the North Star to freedom in the North

Bear’s Paw

This pattern told slaves to follow a mountain trail, out of view, and then follow an actual bear’s trail which would lead to water and food

Monkey Wrench

This pattern meant to gather all the tools required for the escape/journey, (physical, mental, and spiritual tools)

Bowtie/Hourglass

This pattern meant that a slave needed to travel in disguise or change from “slave clothing” into clothing of a higher class (low class was even higher than slaves)

Sailboat

This pattern meant that either water was nearby or that a boat was available

Shoofly

This was a pattern that possibly identified a person who can guide and help the run away slavesThe helpers also knew how to read the quilt codes

Tumbling Blocks

This pattern signaled that there was a conductor in the area and that it was time to pack up and go

Broken Dishes

This pattern meant that broken crockery was at some future landmark along the journey

Dunkard’s Path

This was a warning signal pattern to take a zigzag route to stay away form slave hunters that were in the area (a slave spotted travelling south would not be suspected of escaping)

Log Cabin

This pattern was put in quilts or drawn on the ground indicating that the runaway slave needed to find shelter of that there was a safe house nearby

Dresden Wheel/Wagon Wheel

This pattern told the slave to pack items to travel by wagon or items that would normally be used when traveling by wagonThis also could have meant that there may be a wagon, with hidden compartments that the fugitive slaves could hide in, that would be taking the route north to bring the hidden slaves to freedom

*This is an example of a complete code quilt*

Difficulties of the Journey

Finding safe housesStaying hidden and not leaving any evidence or tracksFinding people they could actually trustFinding the trail clues usually in the dark

If Caught…

Severe punishmentWhippingsStarvationCutting off limbsMore grueling and harsh workDeath

Safe Houses

To signal a safe house there would be one window lit up by a lantern At a safe house slaves could eat, drink, get clean, and maybe get some disguise clothingInside there were hiding places for the slaves to stay during the day

Dangers of Safe House Owners

In 1850 the Fugitive Slave Act was passed which said that if anyone found a fugitive slave in the North, they were to be returned to their owner in the South. If the slave was not returned and was aided, the aiding person would receive a fine of $1,000 and six months in jailThe Fugitive Slave Act and the consequence of jail and fines did not stop abolitionists from assisting

*The news advertising court dates

for the “slave

kidnapper” trials*

Rebels

Thomas Garrett- a Delaware station-master who paid over $8,000 in fines Calvin Fairbank- served over 17 years in prison for assisting fugitive slavesJohn Fairfield- a well known white conductor who was killed because he worked for the URRhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60oFmPwLz8U

Well Known Conductors

Frederick Douglass (2/14/1818-2/20/1895)Harriet Tubman (?/?/1822-3/10/1913)William Still (8/7/1821-7/14/1902)Thomas Garrett (8/21/1789-1/25/1871)

Frederick DouglassLife and Time of Frederick

Douglass “Secrecy and

concealment were necessary conditions to the successful operation of this railroad, and hence its prefix “underground.” ”

-Frederick Douglass

Frederick was a former slave who earned his freedom and then went on to aid fugitive slaves to freedom as well

Harriet Tubman/MosesHarriet Tubman, The Moses of Her

People “Those years were spent in work, almost by night and day, with the one object of the rescue of her people from slavery.”-Sarah Bradford

“So she went nineteen times, and so she brought away over three hundred pieces of living and breathing “property,” with God given souls.”

-Sarah Bradford

Harriet Tubman was a former slave who ran away form a plantation in 1849 but returned to plantations to rescue other slaves and bring them to freedom.If Harriet personally couldn’t lead them to freedom, she would tell the slaves to follow the North star to freedom

William StillThe Underground Railroad

“After having arrived safely in New York, she found a home and kind friends in the family of Rev. A.N. Freeman, and received quite an ovation characteristic of an Underground Rail Road.”

-William Still(describing the rescue

of Anna Maria Weems)

William Still was born into a free slave familyChairman of the Pennsylvania Society for the Abolition of Slavery

Thomas Garrett“No slave who

placed himself under her care, was ever arrested that I’ve heard of…”

-Thomas Garrett(speaking about

Harriet Tubman in a letter written to Sarah Bradford)

Thomas Garrett was a Quaker and known as one of the most active and most influential stationmasters working on the URR.Was a stationmaster for over four decadesHelped about 2,700 runaway slaves to freedom

Slavery Abolition Timeline1849 — Harriet Tubman escaped and

later led 19 missions to the South to free slaves1850–Fugitive Slave Act is passed, enacting stricter laws against slaves seeking refuge in free states1857–The Dred Scott Decision determined a slave to be property and had no rights in court1861–The Civil War begins with slavery being one of the leading issues1863–The Emancipation Proclamation becomes effective, declaring slaves in the South free1865–The Civil War ends, and slavery is formally abolished

Emancipation Proclamation

Issued by Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, during the American Civil War It was not a law passed by Congress. It proclaimed the freedom of slaves in the 10 rebelling states at that timeDid not outlaw slavery

The 13th Amendment

The 13th Amednment officially outlaws slaverey an invouluntay servitude,except as punishment for a crime.Passed by the Senate on April 8, 1864, Passed by the House on January 31, 1865, Adopted on December 6, 1865

URR Statics

It is estimated that by 1850 around 3,000 people worked on the URRBy the middle of the 19th century it was estimated that over 50,000 slaves had escaped from the South using the URRAbout 30,000 slaves were caught trying to escape on the URR and some were killed

The End of the URR

Once the 13th amendment was enforced, there was no longer a need for an Underground RailroadAll slaves were now free and didn’t have to risk their lives trying to gain it

SOURCEShttp://www.ucalgary.ca/applied_history/tutor/migrations/four4.htmlhttp://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/tserve/freedom/1609-1865/essays/slaveresist.htmhttp://www.fold3.com/page/1342_underground_railroad/http://ugrrquilt.hartcottagequilts.com/http://www.safepassageohio.org/resources/Intro.pdfhttp://www.carolinacountry.com/storypages/ourstories/quilt/quilt2.03.pdfhttp://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USASunderground.htm http://library.thinkquest.org/03oct/00394/lifeslavelinks.htm http://streaming.discoveryeducation.com/videos/The%20Underground%20Railroad%20Escape%20From%20Slavery/856_TG.pdfhttp://www.osblackhistory.com/quiltcodes.phpBing images