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Overview
The Underground Railroad was a network of people who helped slaves escape and be brought to freedom, with the routes passing through 14 states in the North and Canada. It occurred during the American Movement and was part of the movement to abolish slavery during the “Antebellum Period” of American History. Due to slavery at the time, this network was used in the 19th century. George Washington mentioned the Quakers doing something similar in the 1780s, but the Underground Railroad came to be popular starting in the 1830s. Some famous supporters include Harriet Tubman, Levi Coffin, Frederick Douglass, William Lloyd Garrison, etc.
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How did the Underground Railroad get its name?
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The Underground Railroad wasn’t an underground or a railroad. “Underground” is usually used for things that are a secret and that aren’t seen, similar to the Underground Railroad itself. “Railroad” is in the name since terms usually used for railroads were used for the Underground Railroad. The people who helped bring the slaves to freedom were known as “conductors” and the homes and stops used were called “stations”.
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How did the Underground Railroad work?
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First, the slaves had to run away from their owner.
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Next, they would meet up with the conductors, and would move during the night in their groups until they got to their stations. The conductors were of both races, and some were runaways themselves or free people.
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They stopped at stations were known as “safe houses” where they were fed and given rest. The “safe houses” had hideouts inside of them, like cellars, basements, or hidden parts in cupboards.
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When in one stop, they would send a message telling the next station to be ready and prepare.
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Sometimes, slaves were brought to boats to sail to the North and some were sent in trains.
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Money was needed for transportation and clothes sometimes and they got it through people who wanted to help and by other groups. They needed money for clothes so that the runaways could disguise themselves to look as free people. People could have gotten suspicious if they saw the fugitives in ripped clothing.
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Running away was very hard and dangerous, but the Underground Railroad is known to be one of the greatest freedom movements in America.
PRIMARY SOURCES OF THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD:
"The Underground Railroad by Chas. T. Webber. (c1893)
This is a photographic print of African Americans escaping slavery on wagons and foot.
Map of Slave Population in 1869 drawn by E. Hergesheimer
This is a map drawing of the slave population in the Southern states, compiled throught the census of 1860.
Sliding Shelves At A Stop - Gettysburg, Pennsylvania Home (1810)
Reverend Alexander Dobbin made these shelves that slide so that slaves could hide in this crawl space.
Topic #17:
HARRIET TUBMAN
THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD
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Annapurani Sivaraj (10th Grade)
THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD
The Underground Railroad is significant to American History and made an important impact to our country. The Underground Railroad is known to be one of the largest ways for resisting slavery in America. Freedom for slaves was very difficult, especially during the nineteenth century, and the Underground Railroad became a popular method for freeing slaves. It was also known to be the most successful way to escape at that time. Roughly 100,000 slaves were brought through freedom through the Underground Railroad, and this effort along with other efforts led to slavery eventually being abolished. The Underground Railroad also brought people of both races together to work together and resist slavery. It undercut slavery, leading to slavery ending later during the Civil War.
Harriet Tubman is also significant to American History. Due to Harriet Tubman’s role as a conductor on the Underground Railroad, she is known as a symbol of bravery. Her resistance to slavery inspired many others after her. She worked so hard to help the slaves escape, traveling about 560 miles, and even sacrificing her own life. Harriet’s efforts made people think about how slaves were treated, and eventually got more people to resist slavery. She pushed African Americans to fight for their freedom and equality, and gave them hope that they could be free.
Harriet Tubman and The Underground Railroad had relationships with other events in this sub-movement.
THE MARTYRDOM OF NAT TURNER (1831):
When Harriet was a young girl working in the fields with other slaves, she learned from them about rebellions to free slaves. She was told about Nat Turner and his unsuccessful rebellion, which was one of the largest ones ever and helped lead to the development of the slave society in the Antebellum Period. Turner was a religious man known as “The Prophet”, who had a vision in 1831 to “slay enemies with their own weapons”. Within 24 hours, Turner and four slaves killed their master and the master’s family, along with other white people. He was later captured, and his followers were killed. Turner’s rebellion showed that slaves could be free one day. The stories Harriet heard about as a young girl helped her later on when she started freeing people to freedom through the Underground Railroad. Harriet became more of a rebel by hearing about these rebellions.
WILLIAM LLOYD GARRISON - "THE LIBERATOR" (1831):
William Lloyd Garrison was the founder of a newspaper, “The Liberator”, and founded the American Anti-Slavery Society. He gave Harriet the nickname of “Moses” when she helping free slaves. He supported her and her actions, and gave her money and shelter for the runaways. Garrison also worked with Frederick Douglass, who was a conductor on the Underground Railroad.
The picture on the left is a primary source anti-slavery journal in William Lloyd Garrison's newspaper.
THE AMERICAN ANTI-SLAVERY SOCIETY (1833):
In 1833, Robert Purvis founded the American Anti-Slavery Society along with others. In 1834, the American Anti-Slavery Society helped to set up the Underground Railroad. Both white and black abolitionists from the society helped bring many slaves to freedom. In 1838, Robert Purvis, the founder, was organized completely and slaves began their escapes.
THE MUNITY OF THE AMISTAD (JULY 2, 1839):
The Amistad mutiny was a slave rebellion along with the Underground Railroad. The Amistad mutiny was a mutiny where the slaves being brought to New York rebelled and wanted to be brought back to Africa. They gained their freedom through a Supreme Court Case. Similarly, slaves used the Underground Railroad to escape from slavery and be brought to freedom.
FREDERICK DOUGLASS - "THE NORTH STAR" (1847):
Frederick Douglass worked as the editor and publisher of a newspaper, “The North Star”. He was one of the conductors for the Underground Railroad. Douglass had a home in Rochester, New York, and this was the last stop until slaves went to Canada for freedom. He gave home to 11 runaways at one point.
To the left is a primary source news article from "The North Star", published on June 20, 1850.
HARRIET BEECHER STOWE - UNCLE TOM'S CABIN (1852):
Harriet Beecher Stowe was an abolitionist who wrote “Uncle Tom’s Cabin”. When she was 21 years old, she went to Ohio, where she became a part of the Underground Railroad and gave a shelter to the runaways. Her novel, “Uncle Tom’s Cabin”, was inspired by the fugitive slave laws during the time and also by runaway slaves who came to freedom using the Underground Railroad. Stowe interviewed many of the previous slaves. In “Uncle Tom’s Cabin”, the characters were based off of a slave, Josiah Henson, who escaped slavery in Kentucky and came to Canada through the Underground Railroad.
SIGNIFICANCE
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Websites:
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Biography.com Editors. "Harriet Tubman Biography." The Biography.com Website. A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web. 11 Aug. 2016.
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History.com Staff. "Harriet Tubman." History.com. A&E Television Networks, 2009. Web. 11 Aug. 2016.
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"Harriet Tubman: Conductor of the Underground Railroad - Meet Amazing Americans | America's Library - Library of Congress." America's Story from America's Library. Library of Congress, n.d. Web. 11 Aug. 2016.
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"Harriet Tubman." PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 11 Aug. 2016.
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"Harriet Tubman, 1820-1913: She Fought Slavery, Oppression." VOA. N.p., 12 Feb. 2011. Web. 11 Aug. 2016.
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"Supporters of the Underground Railroad." Harriet Tubman. Harriet Tubman, n.d. Web. 11 Aug. 2016.
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"Underground Railroad." Underground Railroad. Online Highways LLC, n.d. Web. 11 Aug. 2016.
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"Slave Rebellions: A Timeline." PBS. Independent Television Service, n.d. Web. 11 Aug. 2016.
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United States. National Park Service. "Aboard the Underground Railroad-- Boston African American NHS." National Parks Service. U.S. Department of the Interior, n.d. Web. 11 Aug. 2016.
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"Harriet Beecher Stowe, Uncle Toms Cabin, Underground Railroad." Harriet Beecher Stowe, Uncle Toms Cabin, Underground Railroad. Www.totalgettysburg.com, n.d. Web. 11 Aug. 2016.
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United States. National Park Service. "Aboard the Underground Railroad-- Harriet Beecher Stowe House--Ohio." National Parks Service. U.S. Department of the Interior, n.d. Web. 11 Aug. 2016.
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History.com Staff. "Underground Railroad." History.com. A&E Television Networks, 2009. Web. 14 Aug. 2016.
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"The Underground Railroad." PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 14 Aug. 2016.
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"Pathways to Freedom | About the Underground Railroad." Pathways to Freedom | About the Underground Railroad. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Aug. 2016.
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"Interesting Facts about the Underground Railroad." Harriet Tubman. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Aug. 2016.
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History.com Staff. "Slavery In America Photo Galleries." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 22 Aug. 2016.
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"Tubman: Conductor of the Underground Railroad." America's Story from America's Library. Library Of Congress, n.d. Web. 22 Aug. 2016.
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"Primary Sources | Underground Railroad Student Activity | Scholastic.com." The Underground Railroad. Scholastic Inc., n.d. Web. 22 Aug. 2016.
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"Underground Railroad Primary Source Set." Eastern Illinois University Homepage. Illinois Board of Higher Education, n.d. Web. 22 Aug. 2016.
Primary Sources:
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Still, William. The Underground Railroad: A Record of Facts, Authentic Narratives, Letters, &c., Narrating the Hardships, Hair-breadth Escapes, and Death Struggles of the Slaves in Their Efforts for Freedom, as Related by Themselves and Others or Witnessed by the Author: Together with Sketches of Some of the Largest Stockholders and Most Liberal Aiders and Advisers of the Road. Cirencester: Echo Library, 2007. Print.
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"The Moses of Her People: Harriet Tubman." Harriet Tubman: The Moses of Her People. Maryland State Archives, 26 June 2004. Web. 07 Sept. 2016.
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"Map Showing the Distribution of the Slave Population of the Southern States of the United States. Compiled from the Census of 1860." The Library of Congress. Congress.Gov, n.d. Web. 07 Sept. 2016.
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History.com Staff. "Slavery In America Photo Galleries." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 22 Aug. 2016.
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"Tubman: Conductor of the Underground Railroad." America's Story from America's Library. Library Of Congress, n.d. Web. 22 Aug. 2016.
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"Primary Sources | Underground Railroad Student Activity | Scholastic.com." The Underground Railroad. Scholastic Inc., n.d. Web. 22 Aug. 2016.
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"Underground Railroad Primary Source Set." Eastern Illinois University Homepage. Illinois Board of Higher Education, n.d. Web. 22 Aug. 2016.
Books:
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Still, William. The Underground Railroad: A Record of Facts, Authentic Narratives, Letters, &c., Narrating the Hardships, Hair-breadth Escapes, and Death Struggles of the Slaves in Their Efforts for Freedom, as Related by Themselves and Others or Witnessed by the Author: Together with Sketches of Some of the Largest Stockholders and Most Liberal Aiders and Advisers of the Road. Cirencester: Echo Library, 2007. Print.
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Lantier, Patricia. Harriet Tubman: Conductor on the Underground Railroad. New York: Crabtree, 2010. Print.
HARRIET TUBMAN
“I freed thousands of slaves, and could have freed thousands more, if they had known they were slaves.”
BACKGROUND
Birth Date: c. 1820
Place of Birth: Dorchester County, Maryland
Death Date: March 10, 1913
Place of Death: Auburn, New York
Home in Dorchester County, Maryland
Home in Auburn, New York
Occupation: Civil Rights Activist, Abolitionist, Humanitarian, Armed Scout & Spy for United States Army
Harriet Tubman is known to be the most famous “conductor” of the Underground Railroad.
EARLY LIFE
Harriet Tubman was born as Araminta Harriet Ross (“Minty”) to her enslaved parents, Harriet “Rit” Green and Ben Ross, and had eight siblings. Ben Ross was freed from slavery when he was 45 years old. Her year of birth is unknown but most likely between 1820 and 1825, and she was born a slave and worked on the fields of Maryland’s Eastern shore. When she was 5-6 years old, she worked as a house servant, where she faced hardship. Her siblings were being sold, she faced physical violence, and had scars from being beat 5 times when she was younger. When she was younger, she ran into a slave who ran away from his field and was trying to escape. An overseer told Harriet that she had to make sure he wouldn’t runaway, but she refused to do so. So, the overseer threw a two-pound weight that hit her head, causing seizures, harsh headaches, narcoleptic episodes, and severe dream states for the remainder of her life.
Primary Source
This is a full-length portrait, a photographic print, of Harriet Tubman between ca. 1871 and 1876.
ADULTHOOD & INVOLVEMENT WITH THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD
In 1844, she married John Tubman, a free black man. Roughly half of the African-American people who lived where Harriet did were free. Not much is known about their marriage. Around this time, she changed her name to “Harriet”, most likely to honor her mother.
This is the only picture of Harriet and her husband, John Tubman.
In 1849, Harriet thought she would be sold so she escaped from slavery and went to Philadelphia. Harriet was originally going to escape from Maryland and go to Philadelphia on September 17, 1849 with two of her brothers, Ben and Henry. However, a notice came out and offered $300 in return for Harriet, Ben, and Henry. Harriet’s brothers hesitated and decided to go back to Maryland, and she made sure they returned home safely. However, Harriet had no intention of going back to being a slave and went to Philadelphia alone with the help and assistance of a white woman. By using the Underground Railroad and following the North Star, Harriet made it to Philadelphia where she got a job and saved up her money. Harriet later remembered crossing into Philadelphia and said, “When I found I had crossed that line, I looked at my hands to see if I was the same person. There was such a glory over everything; the sun came like gold through the trees, and over the fields, and I felt like I was in Heaven.”
In 1850, Harriet found out her niece and her two children were going to be sold. At the bidding, her husband, who was a free black man, won. After this, Harriet returned to Maryland to help the family also come to Philadelphia. Harriet went for a third time back to Maryland to help her husband come to Philadelphia; however, he had found a new wife. Harriet didn’t let this get to her and she continued helping slaves escape to freedom in the North. Her most dangerous journey was helping her 70-year-old parents come to freedom.
Harriet was in great danger along with the runaway slaves. There were many rewards and ads printed about the runaway slaves. Harriet came up with techniques to help with the journeys like using horses for the first part of the journey and leaving with the Slaves on Saturday nights since ads for the slaves could not be placed in the newspapers until Monday, and giving the babies a drug when they cry since it could place the runaways in danger.
Primary Source
These are the rewards given out in exchange for the runaway slaves.
Harriet never lost a slave or let them go back. If a slave ever wanted to go back, she would take out her gun and say, “You’ll be free or die.” This was because if slaves went back, it could lead to the other runways being discovered. She was known for helping slaves escape and got the nickname “Moses of Her People”. Slaves sang “Go Down Moses” hoping to be free one day.
Primary Source
These are the lyrics to the song "Go Down Moses".
In 1850, the Fugitive Slave Law stated that slaves who escaped could be seized in the North and brought back to slavery. Former slaves in the North were being caught and brought back. Officials in the North were forced to help capture slaves. Due to this, Harriet changed up the Underground Railroad to Canada.
Primary Source
This is the Fugitive Slave Law.
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This is a photograph print of Harriet Tubman and slaves that she helped escape.
In 1851, evidence shows that Harriet and her group of 11 slaves stayed at Frederick Douglass’s home in December. Another famous stop of the Underground Railroad was the house of John Rankin. Capturing Harriet would bring about a $40,000 reward by 1856. On one occasion, she heard people reading the poster wanting her in return for a lot of money. She quickly took out a book and acted like she was reading it, and fooled the people reading the poster.
Primary Source
This is the home of John Rankin.
Harriet worked as a cook, nurse, scout, and spy during the Civil War, but still continued helping slaves escape. During the Civil War, Harriet led the Combahee River Raid leading to about 700 slaves in South Carolina being freed.
Harriet made the dangerous trips from the South to the North and to Canada at least 19 times and helped about 300 people escape to freedom.
HARRIET TUBMAN IN WILLIAM STILL'S BOOK "THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD"
Primary Source
William Still, known as the Father of the Underground Railroad, wrote this book with a record of facts, authentic narratives, and letters from his time as a conductor on the Underground Railroad. It was published in 1871.
Here is an excerpt from the book where Still talks about Harriet Tubman:
"Her success was wonderful. Time and again she made successful visits to Maryland on the Underground Rail Road, and would be absent for weeks at a time, running daily risks while making preparations for herself and her passengers. Great fears were entertained for her safety, but she seemed wholly devoid of personal fear. The idea of being captured by slave-hunters or slave-holders, seemed never to enter her mind. She was apparently proof against all adversaries. While she thus maintained utter personal indifference, she was much more watchful with regard to those she was piloting. Half of her time, she had the appearance of one asleep, and would actually sit down by the road-side and go fast asleep when on her errands of mercy through the South, yet, she would not suffer one of her party to whimper once, about 'giving out and going back,' however wearied they might be by the hard travel day and night. She had a very short and pointed rule or law of her own, which implied death to any who talked of giving out and going back. Thus, in an emergency she would give all to understand that 'times were very critical and therefore no foolishness would be indulged in on the road.' That several who were rather weak-kneed and faint-hearted were greatly invigorated by Harriet's blunt and positive manner and threat of extreme measures, there could be no doubt.
After having once enlisted, 'They had to go through ordie.' Of course Harriet was supreme, and her followers generally had full faith in her, and would back up any word she might utter. So when she said to them that 'a live runaway could do great harm by going back, but that a dead one could tell no secrets,' she was sure to have obedience. Therefore, none had to die as traitors on the 'middle passage.' It is obvious enough, however, that her success in going into Maryland as she did, was attributable to her adventurous spirit and utter disregard of consequences. Her like it is probable was never known before or since."
LATER LIFE
Afterwards, Harriet lived in Auburn, New York after the war with her family and friends. In 1869, she married Nelson Davis, a Civil War veteran, and they adopted a girl, Gertie. She struggled with money but people helped raise money to support her. Sarah H. Bradford wrote a biography called “Scenes in the Life of Harriet Tubman” and the money earned from this went to Harriet and her family. In 1903, Harriet donated a piece of her land to the African Methodist Episcopal Church where the “Harriet Tubman Home for the Aged” opened in 1908. Her head injuries became more painful and she got brain surgery, and in 1913, she died of pneumonia. In April of 2016, U.S. Treasury Department announced that Harriet Tubman would replace Andrew Jackson and would be on the new $20 bill.
Harriet and her family
Harriet Tubman's Grave