underground railroad

UNDERGROUND RAILROAD

By Gardiner Willis

HISTORY OF SLAVERY Slavery in America

1619 from AfricaA person owned by someone else You could be hit anytime your master

wanted

WHAT WAS THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD? Secret journey from the south to the

north People that helped slaves escape were

called conductors You hid in homes, shops, churches,

schools, and barns. Some hid on boats or in trains.

IMPORTANT PEOPLE Harriet Tubman helped about 300 slaves

escape.

Henry “Box” Brown hid in a box until he got to northern states.

Harriet Beecher Stowe was another famous conductor. She wrote a book called Uncle Tom’s Cabin and it told how bad slavery was.

INTERESTING FACTS All slaves were called “chattel”. They

were pieces of property like sheep, furniture, and bales of cotton.

Slaves’ owners would offer large sums, making it more difficult to find safety.

Sometimes it took you over a year, sometimes it took you two or three days to get to freedom.

ABOUT GARDINER WILLIS Have one dog Loves CANDY!!! Love cupcakes!