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Argumentative Essay On The Underground Railroad

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Even though escaping the South to go the North for freedom was illegal, surprisingly thousands of slaves ran away by using the Underground Railroad. The Underground Railroad is not a train station but the name fits with how they have used it in that time. Just like a train station, the Underground Railroad had “stations” but they were houses or places that could keep the slaves safe for the time being when they were running away. The people who lived in those houses would take care of them for how ever many hours they stayed and then the slaves would start to take off to the North once again. These runners are very brave because if they get caught, they could have either been sent back or even killed. The Underground Railroad was a passage …show more content…

The slaves had to risk their lives attempting to escape to the North. It was either a live or die situation even though they survived the escape because they could still get caught in the North and would be sent back to the South to get punished. This was probably the toughest decision to make because anything bad could happen but they mainly did this for their families, their children, and of course lastly for themselves. The slaves wanted to protect each other and their families so even thought they did not know each other; they helped everyone escape the South. Despite taking its terminology from the railroads, highly structured organizations, the Underground Railroad was very loosely organized. Usually the people who were associated in the Underground Railroad did not have a clue of who was in the next “station”. When the people in the “stations” give the runners shelter, they would also provide food for them to eat. “Estimates of the number of slaves assisted vary widely, but only a minuscule fraction of those held in bondage ever escaped. Few, particularly from the Lower South, even attempted the arduous journey north. But the idea of organized “outsiders” undermining the institution of slavery angered white southerners, leading to their demands in the 1840s that the Fugitive Slave Laws be

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Underground Railroad Many slaves try to escape to their freedom, but not by just running away, they had help from the underground railroad. The Underground Railroad consist of terms like conductors, stations, lines, and cargo. The conductors were the people who helped and provided the slaves safe passages while traveling the underground railroad. There were multiple conductors in the underground railroad like William Still who helped Harriet Tubman when she was a fugitive , John Parker he worked through the busiest parts of the railroad that transported slaves through the ohio river, Reverend John Rankin worked with John parker, but the fugitive slave that is most famous for the underground railroad is Harriet Tubman.

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The Underground Railroad was one of the more popular ways slaves could escape from their bondage and obtain their freedom. Many people would not assume that New York City was an important station on the Underground Railroad. Eric Foner, a professor and prominent historian from Columbia University, has published a monograph about the Underground Railroad. His monograph, titled Gateway to Freedom: The Hidden History of the Underground Railroad describes how New York City “was a crucial waystation in the metropolitan corridor through which fugitive slaves made their way from the Upper South” (Foner, 2015, pg. 7). Foner also explains about how the fugitive slaves issue affected the coming of the Civil War and the national debate about it.

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Many of these routes were in the South, where a majority of slavery was most common. These routes were organized by abolitionists, who were people that opposed slavery. Abolitionists had individual actions that would help slaves become free and escape.. In addition to the South, slaves passed through Connecticut at a number of times. After passing through Connecticut, Stamford, New Haven or Old Lyme, often on to Farmington, the "Grand Central Station", the slaves would go North, which led them to Westfield or Springfield, Massachusetts.

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The Abolitionists were people that were against slavery, and the group was dedicated to the cause of getting rid of it. Most of abolitionists were from the North, and the Abolitionist movement started in the 1830s. The Underground Railroad is the most thought of when we think of the Abolitionist Movement. The Underground Railrod helped fugitive slaves from the south, get to the North. Most of the slaves that went through this process made it to their destination, and became free African Americans like they had wanted to be.

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When they came together it would really help take their minds off of what was truly happening. They would share stories of their dreams if they ever became free. Mothers would share some of their wisdom to their kids to help guide them in the future. Some slaves would plan a way to escape (Sand 57). Slaves were poorly fed and clothed.

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Google. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Feb. 2017. On the google website it explains how the underground railroads were used and who used them. It explains how The slaves would travel through the underground railroads to escape into a free state.

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A difficulty in the railroad was the escaping of the slaves’ .as they had to run away in night because there was a constant threat to be seen in the day. If they were seen, they would be harshly beaten, sent back or pitifully killed. There were many people like Frederick Douglass was a fugitive slave who escaped via the Underground Railroad. Henry “Box” Brown was another such

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William Still " the father of the underground railroad" was an abolitionist movement leader with whom much respect should be given. . The Underground Railroad was a term used to describe a network of people who helped escaped slaves on their way to freedom. I think it 's ironic that it is believed the term was coined by a slave chaser. It 's hard to imagine that the dollar value of slaves were greater than the dollar value of American banks.

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