1. #26 1849- Harriet Tubman Pioneers: “THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD”
BY: Meher Hingorani

2. The Railroad (PLEASE CLICK INSIDE THE BOX BUT NOT ON THE WORDS)
Relationship with other Abolitionism Events
What was the Underground Railroad?
Significance in
American History
Background
BIBLIOGRAPHY

3. Harriet Tubman & the Origins of the Railroad
Background
The Fugitive Slave Act
Time Period
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4. Harriet Tubman and the Origins of the Railroad
Harriet Tubman was born Araminta Harriet Ross, between in Maryland, to slave parents.
She was struck on the head once, leading to her having seizures and “episodes”
She married John Tubman in 1844
One night, in 1849, fearing that she would be sold, Harriet ran away.
She followed the North Star until she reached Philadelphia
Eventually, she returned to get her sister, then her brother and 2 men, and so on.
She devised several techniques to get in and out of the South, and even carried a gun, so if fugitives wanted to return, she told them “You’ll be free or die”
She was the first and one of the main conductors of the Underground Railroad.
She freed over 300 slaves, and at one point, there was a $40,000 bounty on her head.
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5. Time Period: Abolitionism(1815-52)
Railroad’s relationship with other Abolitionism Events
Time Period: Abolitionism( )
Abolitionism was a time period that called for the end of slavery
People demanded that slaves get the same rights, and several slaves escaped to become free
The American Anti-Slavery society was formed in 1833
Abolitionists were known for helping slaves escape through the Underground Railroad, and ignoring the Fugitive Slave Acts of 1793 and 1850
Political Cartoon
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6. Political Cartoon
This political cartoon depicts slaves being caught and beaten, and forced to work, as a result of the Fugitive Slave Law.
According to the Fugitive Slave Act, law enforcement officers could arrest colored persons by claiming they were fugitive slaves, and return them to slavery in the South.
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7. What was the Underground Railroad?
Map of the Railroad
What was the Underground Railroad?
The Underground Railroad was a series of paths from the South to the North, which slaves could escape through, to gain their freedom. They were not literally underground, however.
Along these paths were several stations to stop and rest, and wait, since the slaves could only travel by night.
Sometimes groups of slaves were led by “conductors”, or they followed the North Star
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Code words & Communication

8. Map of the Underground Railroad
This map depicts several of the paths used by fugitive slaves to escape the South and slavery.
Most of the paths lead to the North, and some lead to Canada.
A few lead to the Bahamas, and some travel across the sea, like from Charleston to New York
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9. Code Words and Communication
The conductors and fugitives who traveled the Underground railroad used code words to communicate, so they wouldn’t be found out by the slave owners or police.
Here are some of the code words and their translations:
In addition, quilts were hung at safe houses to communicate, and people sang spirituals with coded meanings as well.
Bundles of wood, parcel
Expected Fugitives
Conductor
Person who transported slaves
Freedom Train, Gospel Train
The Underground Railroad
Station; station-master
A safe house; owner of the safe-house
Agent
Person who coordinated/plotted escapes
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FULL LIST OF PHRASES AND TRANSLATIONS

10. The Fugitive Slave Act(s)
There were 2 Fugitive Slave Acts, one in 1793, and one in 1850.
The Fugitive Slave Act of 1793 declared that a person who was hiding an escaped slave could be fined $500, and slave hunters could capture an escaped slave as long as they orally confirmed that they had caught a runaway, in front of a judge.
The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 said that slave hunters could force people to help them capture a runaway, and if the people refused to cooperate, they were punished/fined.
The Fugitive Slave Acts angered the North and Abolitionists greatly.
FULL Fugitive Slave Bill
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11. Significance in American History
The Underground Railroad has a large significance in American History. Without it, several thousand slaves may have never gained their freedom.
Some may go as far as to say that without the Railroad, there would not have been as many soldiers for the North, and the South may have won the Civil War.
Slavery could still be around in the U.S. today, if it weren’t for Harriet Tubman and the other notable conductors of the Underground Railroad
The South and the North could even be separate countries.
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12. Relationship with other Abolitionism events
The Underground Railroad was related to several other events that took place during the Abolitionist time period, and was considered to have contributed towards the Civil War.
The American Anti-Slavery Society were a large supporter of the railroad and also fought to free slaves and keep rights for escaped slaves who’d earned freedom.
“The North Star” by Frederick Douglass was an anti-slavery newspaper which focused on anti-slavery politics and abolitionist issues
“Uncle Tom’s Cabin” by Harriet Beecher Stowe describes the tale of a Christian slave named Uncle Tom, as he is sold and bought, and how the slaves and people around him sacrifice to be able to escape to Canada, or to save their children.
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13. Bibliography Secondary Sources Primary Sources
-“Abolitionism.” u-s-History.com,
“-Harriet Tubman.” Pbs.org, PBS ONLINE,
-Historical Society. “What Was the Underground
Railroad?” Harriet-Tubman.org, 2017,
- The Biography.com Editors. “Harriet Tubman.”
Biography.com, A&E Television Networks, 2
Aug. 2017,
/harriet-tubman
-Wikipedia contributors. "The North Star (anti-slavery
newspaper)." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.
Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 26 Aug Web.
-Wikipedia contributors. "Uncle Tom's Cabin." Wikipedia,
The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free
Encyclopedia, 30 Jul Web.
-ushistory.org. “The Underground Railroad.” U.S.
History Online Textbook,
Primary Sources
-“Civil War. Effects of the Fugitive Slave Law,
Cartoon from Newspaper,” Digital Public
Library of America,
Bc0f3f1e769ab473e1db98a50.
-“Fugitive Slave Bill,” Digital Public Library of
America,
e26a21407ba7d260.
-Siegel, Michael, “Underground Railroad 19th
Century,” Digital Public Library of America,
f7d3a6da5.
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