The Underground Railroad

The Underground Railroad
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“The Underground Railroad” was the term used to refer to a network of secret abolitionists that aided blacks in their escape from the American South slavery to the free North and Canada. This system emerged as a resistance to oppressive slavery experienced by Black Americans. This network was made up of both whites and blacks. It managed to move over 100,000 slaves within the 1810 and 1850 period. This essay aims at providing an analysis of the events surrounding The Underground Railroad, the people involved and how it happened.
The Underground Railroad is said to have started out in the late 18th century. George Washington was noted complaining about how a “society of Quakers, formed for such purposes” aided his slave in an escape in 1786. The network was named “The Underground Railroad” in 1831 when the steam railroads emerged. It used Railroad terms as a disguise. “Depots or Stations” were the terms used to refer to homes where escapee slaves rested and ate. A “Stationmaster” was in charge of a station. The “Conductor” moved fugitives from station to station (Shadd, Cooper, & Frost, 2005).
The Quakers were the first group to aid slaves in their escape. The setup routes and escape shelters. Religious groups were involved as well. The “African Methodist Episcopal Church” was one such group. Slaves were aided in escaping their masters by the system and movement happened at night. They covered about 10 to 20 miles in-between stations.

The vigilance committees that provided money to cover slave escape expenses were started in the big Northern towns and cities such as Philadelphia, Boston and New York. They did solicit not only money but also food and lodging. They assisted the fugitives to settle in a community and helped them find jobs. They also provided them with letters of recommendation. Many notable individuals such as John Fairfield, Levi Coffin and Harriet Tubman were part of The Underground Railroad (Tubman, 1868).
References
Tubman, H. (1868). The Underground Railroad. I remember students telling their stories.
Shadd, A., Cooper, A., & Frost, K. S. (2005). The Underground Railroad: Next Stop, Toronto!. Dundurn.