Helping Slaves Escape with the Underground Railroad

The Underground Railroad was a hidden system developed to help fugitive slaves escape from bondage. It is both a dangerous and illegal task to assist these fugitive runaways with their escape. Secret codes were created to help protect themselves and to reach their destinations safely. One of these secret codes was the â€Å"Quilt Code,† it was used to display various geometric shapes and patterns resembling those found in American patchwork quilts. These quilts displayed messages in connection with the Underground Railroad and were hung outside of Underground Railroad safe houses. The term â€Å"Underground Railroad† was a reference to the whole system containing routes called lines. The ones who assisted the runaway slaves were called conductors and the slaves were called cargo. The safe houses used to hide slaves were called stations. The term â€Å"Underground Railroad† was said to have first originated when a runaway slave, Tice Davids, escaped from Kentucky. Davids’s master chased Davids all the way to the Ohio River. Davids suddenly disappeared leaving his owner wondering if the slave had â€Å"gone off on some underground railroad.† The Underground Railroad was a dangerous journey for the fugitives. The runaways had to travel many miles on foot in a short amount of time. They had hardly any food and scarce protection from the slave catchers who chased them. Slave owners were not the only ones pursuing fugitive slaves. They would try to encourage others toShow MoreRelatedSlavery And The Underground Railroad1520 Words   |  7 Pages Slavery was a horrific action that took place for hundreds of years., The Underground Railroad was a way to escape this atrocity. The Underground Railroad was not an actual railroad that was underground, but instead a system of homes and places that would hous e runaway slaves and help them to escape to the North. The Underground Railroad was a dangerous thing, but had the great reward of, freedom for slaves, if theyyou successfully completed the challenge. It took great courage and bravery to takeRead More The Underground Railroad: Escaping Slavery Essays818 Words   |  4 Pages The Underground Railroad was what many slaves used to escape slavery. It was not an actual railroad, although it could easily be compared to one. It was a route, with safe houses and many other hiding spots for the slaves to use. The paths had conductors telling you where to go and people who would drive you to the next safe house. You had to be quick, you had to be strong, and you had to be very courageous. The Underground Railroad led all the way to Canada. There were many people helping the slavesRead MoreEssay about The Underground Railroad1092 Words   |  5 Pagesreputation to African people. Many slave owners treated their slaves well, many did not. They forced their slaves to live in deplorable conditions. 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