Introduction

By the 19th century, slavery had become entrenched in the culture of the United States. Slaves toiled endlessly in the southern states and yearned for their freedom. They learned from various insurrections that violent resistance (such as Nat Turner’s rebellion in 1831 ) usually resulted in death. People needed to figure out more secretive, and thus, safer, ways to fight back against their white owners. However, without organization, it was impossible for larger numbers to escape. Abolitionists (people who believed slavery should be outlawed) in the North and South needed to work together to provide a way to move more slaves from plantations to free states. These people established a series of places and a system of codes designed …show more content…
Before Florida became a territory of the United States in 1819, hopeful escapees would run to what was, at the time, Spanish territory. After Spain was forced to give up the land due to the Adams-Onis Treaty, this was no longer a safe option. More slaves were directed northward through the free states to Canada. The most common means of travel was on foot, with anywhere from ten to twenty miles between stops. An escaped slave was always alert and aware of every sound. The journey was particularly dangerous for passengers with children. It was difficult to impress upon a child the importance of not being discovered. Female slaves often worked in the slaveowner’s actual home, and, because of this, were less able to find a time to get away. A system of codes and signals were utilized to disguise slaves’ intent. Once a slave obtained their “ticket” they were able to begin making their way to “The Promised Land,” which referred to Canada. The starting points for the different routes were hidden well; therefore, slaves (“passengers” or “cargo”) beginning their journey would need help finding these places. People who helped during this stage were “shepherds” and, clearly, one would require a guide along the way. Those who contributed in this manner were “conductors.” During the trip, a safe place to hide was referred to as a “way station” and the abolitionists who hid …show more content…
He contributed many things to the abolitionist movement, including working as a conductor and keeping records of escaped slaves in the hopes of bringing separated families back together. Born in New Jersey and, thus, free, Still also became an author, a businessman and the chairman of a vigilance committee put together by a society of abolitionists in Pennsylvania (the Pennsylvania Anti-Slavery Society), when he relocated there. This committee was responsible for locating and then offering assistance to slaves who made it that far along the railroad. Still’s own office was a station and, several times, Harriet Tubman actually took refuge there. The previously mentioned records that William Still kept were hidden well, as the release of that information to the wrong people would have been devastating. These notes included information about where the slave intended to go, different names the slave may have assumed and any pertinent biographical data that might help locate lost family members. Still wrote a book using these notes, titled “Underground Railroad.” Before Still’s book, there was no thorough written history regarding the Railroad. “He alone, of all the thousands who aided the fugitives, succeeded in preserving anything like a full account of the workings of the ‘Underground Railroad’…” Through all of his machinations, hundreds of slaves were delivered to the Promised