The Under Ground Railroad
In America's 19th century, many slaves escaped North by way of the dangerous Underground Railroad to attain freedom. It was the most effective protest against slavery, resulting in many free lives. The term Underground Railroad does not mean underground tunnels, but rather secret routes escaped slaves followed, usually leading them north to Canada; the free land. Thousands of slaves escaped yearly through treacherous conditions to attain their freedom. Not only did the slaves have to be determined and secretive, they had to be strong as well. To defy the Fugitive Slave Act, many abolitionists risked their lives to covertly help hide the runaways, protecting them from bounty hunters. The Underground Railroad was the road the freedom for the blacks, no matter how far they needed to travel, they were determined to reach independence. Most slaves were owned by plantation owners who used them for field and housework. There were many principal objectives for running away: long exhausting hours, malnutrition, beatings, and fear of being parted from loved ones. Most escapees were men whose ages ranged from 16 to 35 years. Many masters offered little or no pay, forcing slaves to live in unhealthy
The average distance traveled by an escaped slave in one night was about ten to fifteen miles. Thousands of abolitionists defied the Fugitive Slave Act by helping free slaves through he Underground Railroad. "On clouded evenings, tree moss, which grew on the north side of tree trunks then served as a guide" (Jones 6). females dressed up as males and males disguised as females; or fair-skinned African Americans passed as Whites; and others pretended to deliver messages or goods to their masters"(NiiCa qtd. A notable conductor was Harriet Tubman, an escaped slave who made it her obligation to rescue other blacks from this terrible life, helping over 300 runaways achieve freedom. Most blacks escaped on weekends; holidays; or harvest season, allowing them more time not to be discovered. The further the slave reached north, the shorter the distance it was to reach the next station. While the stringent laws of the Fugitive Slave Act were being enforced and the institution of slavery continued unabated, many abolitionists assisted escaped slaves regardless of the consequences.
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