February is Black History Month: Underground Railroad

February is Black History Month and I have decided to write a brief article daily regarding Black History. I hope you all will enjoy these articles!

The Underground Railroad:

Many people seem to have a misconception that the underground railroad refers to an actual railway, train, or literal underground system of tunnels leading from American South to the safer American North during the nineteenth century. It doesn't.

The underground railroad was actually a network of brave people throughout the country that assisted escaped slaves in reaching the North and Canada. These people often offered their own homes to escaped slaves as a safe haven for a night or a few nights on their journey northward. The "conductors" of the underground railroad were both freed blacks and whites. Escaped slaves often traveled between 10 and 20 miles a night, usually on foot, to reach these safe houses. The slaves hid in barns, hidden rooms, and even closets during the day. They would be given a small provision of food and while they rested during daytime hours the next "station master" would be contacted, and that night the slaves would be sent to the next safe house on their route. Most homes on the route hung a quilt on the door with a particular color and design as a kind of flag that escaped slaves recognized as a symbol of the underground railroad and a safe house.

The journey was long and arduous. The slaves and those assisting their escape risked their lives by participating in the underground railroad. Once escaped slaves reached the North they were "free" in a sense. However, racism was prevalent in the North and escaped slaves often found it difficult to procure employment and a stable home in the Northern states. Yet this new sense of freedom was worth any hardship encountered to most of the escaped slaves.

PBS has an interesting article that goes more in depth located here. National Geographic offers an interactive online game based on Harriet Tubman's underground railway route. I highly recommend playing it!