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Underground Railroad Research Paper

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The Railroad that Started the War
On the brink of the Civil War, there were roughly 4,000,000 slaves in the United States (Ruggles). These slaves had little to no chance of succeeding, until the Underground Railroad changed over 100,0000 slave’s lives (Blight). The Underground Railroad was a united system made up of mainly Quackers and former slaves across the country that provided slaves away to escape. This system provided a good chance of succeeding (Maryland Public Television). The Underground Railroad was a huge benefit for slaves, but caused many arguments and even fights between the white men. Some historians think these controversies aided the start of the Civil War. The Underground Railroad gave an abused race new hopes and dreams, …show more content…

They worked day to night in the fields or at the master’s house. Most picked crops in the horrendous heat, and some women took care of the master's house and children. The slaves slept in huts with up to twenty people sometimes. The life of a slave was terrible, but the life of a slave that was caught escaping was two times worse. The punishment of getting caught included a beating, being “sold South”, being traded away from their family, and death (Maryland Television). Besides death, being “sold South” was the worst punishment for a slave. Many slaves who were caught were sent South on a ship down the Mississippi River. They would make a difficult trip on a small overcrowded ship. When they arrived slaves were put to work in New Orleans. They had to pick sugarcane in extreme heat, that killed large numbers of slaves (Lauren, Creason, and Matthews). The slaves lived a hard life at the least, and they risked their lives when they tried to escape. Some escaped, but many did not. Through all their struggles, they never quit, because that one hope of freedom. Frederick Douglas, a famous free slave told the world about his experience in slavery. In this quote he tells the basic mindset of a slave and why they tried to escape “If there is no struggle, there is no progress.”

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