The Underground Railroad Objective: Understand the purpose and success of the Underground Railroad for helping slaves escape.

Quick Write If you were a slave, would you try and escape? If yes, how would you do it?

Fugitive Slaves A fugitive is someone who is running away from custody As many as 100,000 slaves escaped during the time that slavery was legal in the United States Large rewards would be posted for those who helped recapture fugitive slaves

Freedom in the North Slaves would flee to the Northern States, where slavery was frowned upon Even in the North they were not guaranteed safety Free blacks in the North were at risk of being mistaken for a slave and captured

The Underground Railroad Religious groups in the North who were against slavery began helping fugitive slaves escape Started in 1816 and continued till after the Civil War Northerners would shelter slaves in their houses and provide food and other materials.

Harriet Tubman Born into slavery but was eventually able to escape to the North There she became an Abolitionist and spent her life helping other slaves She led 13 missions South to bring Slaves into freedom

Why didn’t more slaves escape? Those born into slavery knew nothing else, and could hardly imagine freedom Strict and brutal overseers made many slaves afraid of running away Some slaves who were eager to please their masters would report fugitives

The Fugitive Slave Act Passed by Congress on September 18th, 1850 Part of the Compromise of 1850 between Northern and Southern states Forced Northerners to cooperate and help return escaped slaves This made escaping that much more difficult, as anyone helping a slave was breaking the law