Harriet Tubman & The Underground Railroad

As part of an assignment, I was asked to research an anti-slavery event. Many people spoke out against slavery and had a large impact on the issue, but there were also many significant events that took place that helped end slavery. After researching many events that helped abolish slavery, I chose the Underground Railroad to learn more about.

The Underground Railroad was an organized event by fugitive slaves during the years 1830 and 1860. During the railroad, slaves would run away from their plantations as an attempt to get to a free state. Along the way, slaves were able to stop at houses whom were secretly providing shelter, clothing, and food to the run aways. This event happened mostly in the boarder states such as Kentucky, Maryland and Virginia, but eventually other slave states started to participate. The Underground Railroad was at night. Slaves would escape from the plantation and move from station to station with the help of abolitionists. After escaping the plantation, slaves would head west towards Indiana and Iowa while others headed north to Pennsylvania and Canada. It is estimated that over 100,000 slaves were able to escape using the Underground Railroad.

Harriet Tubman

Harriet Tubman is well known as a leader of the Underground Railroad because she risked her life many times going back to a plantation in Maryland to get her family, and other slaves to take them to Canada. Harriet is estimated to have helped over 300 slaves escape to freedom. She is know for starting the railroad because she was one of the first to successfully travel back and fourth from the plantation to safety. The Underground Railroad is a significant event in American history because of how many slaves it helped save, and the message it sent to the American people.