The Underground Railroad The Underground Railroad was an incredible journey for the brave slaves who took a great risk to escape the horror of slavery. The slaves longed for freedom and would do anything to obtain it. They wanted more than anything to escape the cruel and painful lives they had.
The historical story of the Underground Railroad began with the slave trade. Between 1441 and 1888 Europeans and the African nations engaged in slave practice that caused terrible pain to millions of Africans. European traders sailed to Africa where they exchanged humans for goods. More countries got involved with the slave trade when the rising demand for products such as tobacco, cotton and sugar grew.
The first Africans were brought to Jamestown Virginia in1619. This was the birth of slavery in America. They worked a variety of jobs but most importantly was the work they did on the plantation farms. It is estimated there was more than 10 million
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They had no time to rest and no time to eat. They had secret routes to run on and safe houses to sleep in. Their goal was to find food and shelter
Harriet Tubman was the most famous conductor. She was born into slavery around 1820 and was one of 10 children. When she was a young girl she heard she would be sold and moved down South. That night she decided to escape and become a fugitive on the run. She began her journey on the Underground Railroad. Traveling by night on the first flight and on subsequent treks northward, Tubman followed the "Drinking Gourd," a code name for the North Star (Mallory, M. 1997).
Tubman was determined to help other slaves find the light at the end of the tunnel. She put on her conductor hat and went to work risking her life over and over again to save her fellow slaves. Moreover, she changed the mentality of the slaves by telling them to never give up and keep moving. With time, Tubman not only healed herself but also healed the