The Underground Railroad Slaves coming to Canada

When the sun comes back and the first quail calls, Follow the Drinking Gourd. For the old man is waiting for to carry you to freedom, If you follow the Drinking Gourd. Leave when the angle of the sun is above the horizon at noon and is getting higher each day. Quail are migratory birds which in the winter fly South The drinking gourd is the big dipper The old man = Peg Leg Joe Leave in the winter, as the trip takes app. 1year and you need to cross the Ohio River when it is frozen

Follow the Drinking Gourd The river bank makes a very good road, The dead trees show you the way, Left foot, peg foot, traveling on Follow the Drinking Gourd Follow the Tombigbee River north Look for dead trees that were marked with drawings of a left foot and a peg foot.

Follow the Drinking Gourd The river ends between two hills, Follow the Drinking Gourd. There's another river on the other side, Follow the Drinking Gourd. When you reach the headwaters of the Tombigbee, continue north over the hills until you met another river, the Tennessee River

Follow the Drinking Gourd . Follow the Drinking Gourd Where the great big river meets the little river, Follow the Drinking Gourd. For the old man is awaiting to carry you to freedom if you follow the Drinking Gourd The Tennessee joined another river, which was the Ohio River. Cross that river and on the north bank a guide will meet you from the UGR.

http://www.pbs.org/opb/historydetectives/video/1-2_underground_railroad.html

The Fugitive Slave Laws Notes Passed in 1793 in USA Made it illegal to hide runaways 1850 the police were given power to recapture runaways If you were caught helping the runaways, you were fined $2000 and given a sentence of 6 months of prison time. Many slaves escaped to Canada using the Underground railroad

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCy-c4EQVWQ&feature=related

The Underground Railroad The UGR was not a real railroad, but rather a network of people and places that helped slaves escape to the Northern USA, into Canada and to Mexico It is called the UGR, as it was invisible and they use secret terms that relate to the railroad: such as stations, conductors, parcels or passengers and station masters

The UGR Slaves traveled by land and sea They traveled at night and slept in the day It took around one year. Stations, also known as a Safe House, were homes and businesses where slaves received shelter, food, and protection. After only one day in the station, the slaves had to travel north to the next safe house. These stations were located in houses, barns, business offices, hotels, and churches.

Dimensions of Entrance to Cellar Hiding Area in Adrian Farm House: Runaway slaves had to squeeze through this hole to reach the hiding spaces below. This hole was only 2-feet by 1_-feet in size. The hiding area below only provided enough space for the slaves to crawl and lay down.

Conductors for the Underground Railroad: A variety of individuals assisted the slaves during their travel to freedom. The conductors were white men and women, as well as, freed and runaway slaves. People of all different professions helped in the Underground Railroad. - Farmers - Doctors - Priests & Ministers - Hotel Owners - Teachers - Business Owners

Burlington Pharmacy

Levi Coffin House

                                                                 

Shoes and shackles worn by some of the slaves who escaped with the help of the Coffins.

Fugitive Slaves

The UGR: Also known as Freedom Train or Gospel Train Notes An escape route to the northern states, Canada (Heaven or the Promise Land) and Mexico in the 19th C. for runaway slaves. They mostly traveled by night in wagons with false bottoms or by boats with secret compartments. They followed the North Star. Took app. a year Most left in the winter and waited for the Quail bird to migrate They hid in barns, attics and haylofts during the day.

UGR: Notes The hiding places along the routes were called stations or safe houses. Stations were marked by a quilt hanging outside or the placement of a lantern. Station masters were the people who owned the stations. Those that helped transport them (ex-slaves, Quakers and abolitionists) were called conductors (or Shepherds) Agents were coordinators, one who plotted the course of escape and made contacts

UGR: Notes Preachers were leaders/speakers of the UGR A Stockholder were people who donated money, clothing and food to the UGR The runaway slaves were called parcels or passengers There were secret codes in songs, quilt patterns and drum beats The # of stitches in a quilt pattern sometimes = # of miles They used pepper to throw off their scent from dogs.

Lawn Jockey: Notes A lawn Jockey with a Red cap = Safe House They would have ribbons Tied around their arms: red ribbons = alerting danger, green ribbon = announcing safety.

UNDERGROUND RAILROAD CODE PHRASES Notes "The wind blows from the south today" - the warning of slave bounty hunters nearby "A friend with friends" - A password used to signal the arrival of fugitives with an Underground Railroad conductor "The friend of a friend sent me" - A password used by fugitives traveling alone to indicate they were sent by the Underground Railroad network Load of potatoes, parcel, or bundles of wood - fugitives to be expected

American Civil War Notes During the American Civil War (1860-61) many former slaves returned to the United States to help the Union Army win the war, which put an end to over 250 years of slavery in the USA. After the American Civil War ended, many of the slaves that came to Canada retook the Underground railroad back down to the south to reunite with family and friends.