Underground Railroad
What do you know about it?
1810-1850
► An
informal network of secret routes and
safe houses used by black slaves to escape
to free states & Canada.
► Abolitionists helped slaves to destination
► Traveled mainly on foot
or by wagon
Terms
► Conductors:
guides
► Stations: hiding places
► Stockholders: financial benefactors
► Agents: people who helped slaves find railroad
► Passengers: escaped slaves
Symbols
Slaves were uneducated and illiterate
Drinking gourd song &
constellation— code name
for the big dipper.
► Provided slaves with coded
directions for an
Underground Railroad
escape route north from
Alabama & Mississippi.
► It instructs escapees to
travel up the Tombigbee
River, cross over to the
Tennessee River, and
follow it to the Ohio River
where they could cross to
freedom in the North.
►
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KoeVUYHooSw
Symbols
Quilts
► Quilts
were used to signal & direct slaves to
escape routes & assistance
► 10 quilt patterns
► Placed one at a time on
a fence
► Signal to prepare,
to escape, and give direction
What do you think these quilt
codes mean?
►
Answers
Sailboat: A signal that
either a body of water
►
was nearby or that
boats were available.
Crossroads: Once through
the mountains, slaves were
to travel to the crossroads.
The main crossroad
was Cleveland, Ohio. Any
quilt hung before
this one would have given
directions to Ohio.
Wagon Wheel: A
signal to the slave to
pack the items
needed to travel by
wagon or that could
be used while
travelling
Flying Geese: follow the
direction of the flying geese as
they migrated north in the
spring. Most slaves escaped
during the spring; along the
way, the flying geese could be
used as a guide to find water,
food and places to rest
North Star: two messages-one to prepare to escape
and the other to follow the
North Star to freedom in
Canada
Lantern in the window
► Of
a house was a sign of a “safe house” for
food & shelter.
Harriet Tubman
William Still
Harriet “Moses” Tubman
► Maryland
slave; terribly beaten & whipped as a
child
► Escaped to Philadelphia in 1849
► Rescued over 70 slaves; helped them through
Underground Railroad
► Recruited men w/ John Brown for raid on Harper’s
Ferry
► Spy for Union army in Civil War
► First woman to lead armed expedition in the war
► Why do you think she is called “Moses?”
William Still
► Free
African-American, lived in Philadelphia
► Father of the Underground Railroad
► Helped as many as 60 slaves a month to
freedom
► Kept meticulous records of all slaves that he
helped
The Journey of
Henry “Box” Brown
►
“Ordinary modes of travel he concluded might prove disastrous to his
hopes; he, therefore, hit upon a new invention altogether, which was
to have himself boxed up and forwarded to Philadelphia direct by
express. The size of the box and how it was to be made to fit him most
comfortably, was of his own ordering. Two feet eight inches deep,
two feet wide, and three feet long were the exact dimensions
of the box, lined with baize. His resources with regard to food and
water consisted of the following: One bladder of water and a few small
biscuits. His mechanical implement to meet the death-struggle for
fresh air, all told, was one large gimlet.“
►
One of the more fascinating parts of the story of Henry “Box” Brown is
how Brown spent over 24 hours in a box during his trip. How big was
the box? Would you be comfortable in it? Let’s find out…
DRAW A DIAGRAM OF A BOX
W/ THE FOLLOWING
DIMENSIONS
Two feet eight inches deep, two
feet wide, and three feet long
The Underground Railroad in York
William C. Goodridge. Prominent business
man & abolitionist
House 123 E. Philadelphia St./ Mural W.
Market St.
Goodridge house hiding place
Beneath a secret panel in kitchen floor.