the underground railroad

The Underground Railroad

By Blake, Makenna, and Nick

About the underground

Railroad

The underground railroad was a enormous network of people who helped runaway slaves reach freedom by housing them and help them find routes to the north and parts of Canada where it was safe. The underground railroad helped an estimated 100,000 slaves between 1810 and 1850.

Getting to the Underground Railroad

The first step to getting on the underground railroad was often the hardest and most difficult. Escaping from your slave owner. Often, station masters disguised as slaves would infiltrate a plantation and help slaves escape and get to a safe zone, such as: a barn, a basement, or some place where slave owners couldn't find them.

GROUND

Runaway slave tents

An old safe house used by runaways

Great People of the Underground Railroad

Many great people participated at the Underground Railroad. These people repeatedly risked capture and imprisonment. Among these people were John Fairfield, Levi Coffin, and Harriet Tubman. These brave individuals would risk life and limb to set assist runaway slaves. Levi Coffin

John Fairfield

Harriet Tubman

Some slaves had to cross lakes and rivers to get away from their plantations

Timeline

1619 20 captive slaves are sold in James Town Virginia

1636 North Americas slave trade beings

1682 Virginia declares all black imported slaves are slaves for life

1775 Georgia takes action against slavery

Slaves were treated terrible by their masters, which was a big reason they ran away.

Between 1810 and 1850, the South lost an estimate of 100,000 slaves.