The Underground Railroad

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Slavery was a dark time in America’s past. Not only did slavery separate millions of families, it destroyed the white man’s reputation to African people. Many slave owners treated their slaves well, many did not. They forced their slaves to live in deplorable conditions. Malnutrition and overworking often led to death. If you were a slave, would you risk it all and try to run away? You might not have a choice if you wanted to stay alive. In 1581, the first imported African slaves landed in the Americas. The Spanish brought people from Africa to work for them in Florida. In 1619, the first slaves were brought into the original 13 colonies. They were brought to America as indentured servants and released after they had paid for their passage. In 1705, slaves became recognized as property. From then on, everything changed. Slavery became more and more prominent and by the time of the Civil War, it was estimated that over 4 million slaves were working in the South. Slaves were treated worse than the dogs of their owners. They were given little to eat and tiny shacks to live in. If they disobeyed, they were beaten. For these reasons, many slaves decided to risk their lives and run away in search of freedom. The Underground Railroad was formed in 1810 and more than 100,000 slaves escaped between 1810 and 1850. Following the Fugitive Slave Law of 1793, northern and southern abolitionists, Native Americans, religious groups, and freed slaves acted as “conductors” on the Underground Railroad. Safe houses were called “stations” and the owner and operator of the safe house was the “stationmaster”. People that helped the cause by contributing funding were known as “stockholders”. Any harboring of slaves or transportation of them was a fel... ... middle of paper ... ...ved in God’s name to help slaves escape their captivity and the creation and signing of the Emancipation Proclamation by President Lincoln, America might never have gotten away from the evils of slavery. Works Cited - Wikipedia, the Underground Railroad o http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Underground_Railroad - National Geographic, The Underground Railroad o http://www.nationalgeographic.com/railroad/ - PBS, The Underground Railroad o http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4p2944.html - Slavery In America o http://www.slaveryinamerica.org/history/hs_es_overview.htm - Wikipedia, Harriet Tubman o http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harriet_Tubman - Wikipedia, Harriet Beecher Stowe o http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harriet_Beecher_Stowe - Milton Meltzer, The Underground Man, 1972, Bradburry Press - Harriet Beecher Stowe, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, 1995, Wadsworth Publishing

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