The Under Ground Railroad essays

The Under Ground Railroad essays In Americas 19th century, many slaves escaped North by way of the dangerous Underground Railroad to attain freedom. It was the most effective protest against slavery, resulting in many free lives. The term Underground Railroad does not mean underground tunnels, but rather secret routes escaped slaves followed, usually leading them north to Canada; the free land. Thousands of slaves escaped yearly through treacherous conditions to attain their freedom. Not only did the slaves have to be determined and secretive, they had to be strong as well. To defy the Fugitive Slave Act, many abolitionists risked their lives to covertly help hide the runaways, protecting them from bounty hunters. The Underground Railroad was the road the freedom for the blacks, no matter how far they needed to travel, they were determined to reach independence. Most slaves were owned by plantation owners who used them for field and housework. There were many principal objectives for running away: long exhausting hours, malnutrition, beatings, and fear of being parted from loved ones. Most escapees were men whose ages ranged from 16 to 35 years. Many masters offered little or no pay, forcing slaves to live in unhealthy living conditions. As a result, many were determined to run away, but mainly because coloreds hungered for liberation. The Underground Railroad spanned thousands of miles, from Kentucky and Virginia across Ohio and Indiana. In the Northerly direction, it extended from Maryland, across Pennsylvania, into New York, through New England. As a guide, thousands of slaves followed the North Star on clear nights, leading them to their next stop or station. Station houses were not merely places for a nights tarrying, but homes where the ill and fatigued might remain and be cared for until strong enough for the onward journey (James qtd. MacDougall 5). On clouded evenings, tree moss, w ...