The Underground Railroad

By | February 9, 2019

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Fugitive slaves fleeing from Maryland to Delaware by way of the 'Underground Railroad', 1850-1851. Engraving. Source: (Photo 12/UIG via Getty Images)

Slavery, in any form, is an abomination of humanity. The idea that one person actually had the right, privilege, and opportunity to own another person is mind-boggling by any standard. That being said, it is no wonder that such an elaborate system was finally put in place to attempt to end it once and for all. Whether or not a slave could realistically and safely escape the torture of abuse and servitude was of little concern. It was understood and accepted that if a person didn’t escape, they might die trying. That’s where the Underground Railroad comes into play.

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Map of Underground Railroad Routes. Source: (en.wikipedia.org)

Was the Underground Railroad underground?

The Underground Railroad was not actually underground. It was called “underground” because it was not openly publicized. It was a secretive network of safe houses and routes of travel established in the U.S. during the early to mid-19th century. African American slaves used this network to flee to free states, Canada and Nova Scotia where they could escape captivity. Some routes also led to Mexico or overseas where slavery was prohibited. Although slave owners were white, not every white person agreed with the practice. Some of the abolitionists and their supporters were white. The term abolitionist refers to everyone who aided the fugitive slaves in their escape efforts.

Early on, before it was a U.S. territory, there was an Underground Railroad escape route headed south to Florida. The Underground Railroad came to be in the late 1700s and reached its height between 1850 – 1860. It is estimated that 100,000 slaves had escaped via the secret network by 1850. What is now present-day Canada was a very popular destination and many freed slaves settled in Ontario.

The Quakers are said to be the very first organized group to take action to help slaves escape. Isaac Hopper, a Quaker abolitionist was instrumental in setting up an escape route in Philadelphia. There was also a group of Quakers helping to free slaves in North Carolina. In 1786, George Washington scoffed that the Quakers had tried to “liberate” one of his slaves.