The Underground Railroad

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• Background Info
• Explore More
• Vocabulary

• The Underground Railroad was the network used by enslaved black Americans to obtain their freedom in the 30 years before the Civil War (1860-1865). The “railroad” used many routes from states in the South, which supported slavery, to “free” states in the North and Canada.
  
  Sometimes, routes of the Underground Railroad were organized by abolitionists, people who opposed slavery. More often, the network was a series of small, individual actions to help fugitive slaves.
  
  Using the terminology of the railroad, those who went south to find slaves seeking freedom were called “pilots.” Those who guided slaves to safety and freedom were “conductors.” The slaves were “passengers.” People’s homes or businesses, where fugitive passengers and conductors could safely hide, were “stations.”
  
  Stations were added or removed from the Underground Railroad as ownership of the house changed. If a new owner supported slavery, or if the site was discovered to be a station, passengers and conductors were forced to find a new station.
  
  Establishing stations was done quietly, by word-of-mouth. Very few people kept records about this secret activity, to protect homeowners and the fugitives who needed help. If caught, fugitive slaves would be forced to return to slavery. People caught aiding escaped slaves faced arrest and jail. This applied to people living in states that supported slavery as well as those living in free states.

• Articles & Profiles

  • National Geographic News: Did Quilts Hold Codes to the Underground Railroad?

  Maps

  • State of Indiana: Underground Railroad Sites in Indiana

  Websites

  • Maryland Public Television: Pathways to Freedom—Maryland & the Underground Railroad
  • National Parks Service: Aboard the Underground Railroad
  • PBS: The Underground Railroad

• Term	Part of Speech	Definition	Encyclopedic Entry
  abolitionist	Noun	person who opposes slavery.
  black	Adjective	person of African descent.
  Civil War	Noun	(1860-1865) American conflict between the Union (north) and Confederacy (south).
  conductor	Noun	in the Underground Railroad, a person who guided slaves to safety and freedom.
  enslave	Verb	to totally control.
  free state	Noun	nation or country that outlaws slavery.
  fugitive	noun, adjective	escaped from the law or another restriction.
  North	Noun	states that supported the United States (Union) during the Civil War.
  passenger	Noun	in the Underground Railroad, a runaway slave seeking freedom.
  pilot	Noun	in the Underground Railroad, a person who went to slave states to find slaves seeking freedom and willing to risk their lives to achieve it.
  route	Noun	path or way.
  slave	Noun	person who is owned by another person or group of people.
  slavery	Noun	process and condition of owning another human being or being owned by another human being.
  South	Noun	loosely defined geographic region largely composed of states that supported or were sympathetic to the Confederate States of America (Confederacy) during the U.S. Civil War.
  station	Noun	in the Underground Railroad, a safe place where runaway slaves could hide.
  terminology	Noun	set of terms used in a specialized subject.
  Underground Railroad	Noun	system used by abolitionists between 1800-1865 to help American slaves escape to free states.
  word-of-mouth	Phrase	rumor or informal communication.