I was myself within the circle; so that I neither saw nor heard as those without might see and hear... I have often been utterly astonished, since I came to the north, to find persons who could speak of the singing, among slaves, as evidence of their contentment and happiness. It is impossible to conceive of a greater mistake. Slaves sing most when they are most unhappy.” Analysis: Song was a small more safe way for the slaves to express their true feelings about slavery and the injustices being experienced.
All people. regardless of race, religion, or gender, are human beings, they should be treated fairly and equally, although even in modern society, that is unfortunately often not the case. Peaceful resistances help shape our nation as a whole, and bring us together in a way that created a more diverse and understanding culture. While there will always be people who refuse to accept changes like this, civil disobedience leads to the betterment of society and more equality for everyone by making people more aware of the problems at hand.
What would it mean to shed light on a part of history that remains largely invisible because it was conducted in secret and under cover of night? This was the challenge faced by Colson Whitehead, for example, in his award-winning novel, “The Underground Railroad.” A clandestine and loosely organized network of activists, safe houses and secret routes, the actual Underground Railroad shepherded as many as 100,000 slaves to freedom in the six decades before the Civil War. Its route would eventually traverse free states from Maine to Iowa, extending as far north as Canada.
Although it broke the law, and countered the ancient principle that slaves were considered property, the Underground Railroad was a morally justified response to the institution of slavery, considering it was an inhumane institution. As well as being inhumane, the institution violated the Declaration of Independence, by denying the rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, while also defying the idea of divine right from the Bible. Due to the overall institution of slavery being immoral and inhumane, the Underground Railroad was a justified response to this problematic issue. Despite the Railroad having some illegal aspects, the overall institution of slavery defied the Declaration of Independence, justifying the actions of the
“The Underground Railroad wasn’t really a railroad, it was a way that slaves escaped from their owners. The Underground part of the name meant secret and railroad was the ways that people took to be free.” “What are slaves?” Tommy asked. “ And why did they want to escape?”
The real translation of his words into contemporary language would be “Well.. If you're going to talk about the Underground Railroad so much, might as well call it the Upperground Railroad” (Hecht 1). On the other hand, slaves were extremely clever keeping the routes a secret. They hid clues into songs they sung, quilts they knitted, and even put it in
The reason they were able to sang gospel songs was that when slaves are children they learn basic reading and bible was usually book they read.
The railroad was not an real railroad. The underground railroad help slaves out of slavery and to freedom. Being a slave is having to work against your own will. Slaves have some rights and protections according to laws. A person can become enslaved from the time of their birth, capture, or purchase.
II. Defiining the underground railroad and its use. A. It was made to aid slaves in escaping to freedom.
America was not always a haven for diversity, freedom and equality; some may argue that it is still not that kind of country yet. However even in those times of racism and slavery there were a group of people who did not bend to the whip, but instead stood against it in secret. The Underground Railroad wasn’t necessarily an actual subway system, but a metaphor for the path that will lead to freedom. They could not do this out in the open obviously, so they resorted to using tricks and secret codes to lead slaves to freedom. Not only did this railroad help thousands of slaves to get that freedom, but it also widened the rift that was in between the north and south as evident by the dred scott case, and the fugitive slave act of 1850.
Cooperation and coordination were also critical for the Underground Railroad. Everyone involved had to do what they were told, whether they had an explanation or not. Everything had to work like clockwork, even if something might not be going quite as planned. They all had to be flexible, in order to adapt to problems that were certain to come up. All involved with the Underground Railroad also had to have a special heart to be willing to aid slaves in escaping to freedom.
Detaching from slavery through their diverse cultural foundations allowed for them to be able to connect with other slaves and hold onto their humanity. The assembly among slaves kept the diversity between slave and master. After a long day of being beaten and working under extreme conditions slaves found a way to disconnect from their danger. They used songs to get through a tough work day out in the fields. By singing they would connect with other slaves and find a way to make a terrible situation better.
The Underground Railroad was a system of routes that slaves used to get to freedom. The Underground Railroad was used by people trying to escape from slavery so they could be free and live their lives the way they wanted.
The Underground Railroad. A metaphor as it was, it was neither a railroad nor was it even underground. In the time where slavery became a divided issue with the status of legality in various parts of the country, the underground railroad found its beginnings through collective organized efforts from abolitionists and allies alike to help enslaved African americans to escape to territories and states where they could be free from slavery. It was a loosely-developed system that also included series of routes led by “conductors” such as Harriet Tubman, for escaping slaves, or “passengers”.
Benjamin heard that a group of slaves planned to escape. Joshua, Ruth and Caleb planned to travel the Underground Railroad that night. Benjamin wanted to go. He needed to know what time they would be leaving and where. Joshua said “just listen for the song over yonder Benjamin.”
