Underground Railroad Outline

584 Words3 Pages
The Underground Railroad I’m going to tell you about the Underground Railroad. In the nineteenth century the United States was full of slaves. Their conditions were extremely poor, and the need to escape was strong. Their solution was the Underground Railroad; a large network of secrets routes and safe houses where the African slaves could seek safety. With the help from abolitionists and allies, - who were people who worked against slavery- plenty of slaves succeeded in escaping to a place where they weren’t underestimated. An underground railroad was built in the late 17th century with a route going south toward Florida. The network was generally known as the Underground Railroad, used mostly between 1850 and 1860. By 1850 it was estimated that over 100 000 slaves had used the Underground Railroad as an escape route,…show more content…
There, slavery was forbidden. It was also a place that was easy to enter with its long borders that gave slaves an easy way to get into the country. Most of the slaves settled in Ontario. It is said that more than 30.000 slaves settled in Ontario who traveled via the network, but the numbers seems to be unsure. In the Underground Railroad one could find meeting points, secret routes, transportation and safe houses. Assistance was provided by abolitionists. Participants of the railroad were organized in small, independent groups, which helped in keeping the railroad secret. People only knew some connecting "stations" along the route, but their knowledge of their immediate area were minor. The code names "stations" and "depots" were given for the resting spots where the runaways could sleep and eat". Most people associated with the Underground Railroad only knew their part of the operation and not the entire thing. "Conductors" on the railroad came from various backgrounds and included free-born blacks, white abolitionists, former slaves, and Native
Open Document