Fleeing North American History

The Free North and the Slave South What do we already know about the North and the South? Why was the South so dependent on slavery? Eventually what developed were the slave states of the South and the free states of the North.

Escape to the North Because the North was free, an underground network was created to smuggle slaves North to freedom. This became known as the Underground Railroad. Underground Railroad: A secret transportation network that moved fugitive slaves from the southern USA to the British colonies north of the USA (Canada today).

The Underground Railroad was actually an above-ground series of escape routes for slaves traveling from the South to the North trying to gain their freedom. Slaves traveled by foot, wagons, boats, roads, baggage, and trains. Slave runaways would usually travel by the light of night and hide during the day in places known as stations. These were safe houses owned by abolitionists.

Abolitionists People who supported the cause to end slavery

Henry Box Brown

1850 Fugitive Slave Act Said that the national government would need to use its power to help catch escaped slaves. Imposed penalties on anyone found to be assisting fugitive slaves. People defied the law anyway and still helped escaped slaves.

Would you take the risk? If caught slaves would be sold, beaten with a whip, or sometimes they were lynched.

Harriet Tubman Harriet Tubman was born a slave in Maryland. When she learned that her owner was going to sell her, she decided to escape. Tubman made 19 journeys from the South to the North and helped more than 300 escaped slaves to freedom.

Movie!!! After a few questions… Read the article starting on Page 10 in your Unit 2 booklet and answer the questions that follow. MOVIE: Race to Freedom