The Underground Railroad

Railroad as Resistance
 “Famous Quote”

“There was one of the two things I had a right

to,liberty or death. If I could not have one, I
would have the other. For no man should take
me alive. I should fight for my liberty as long as
my strength last.”
 What was the railroad?
• a vast network of people
who helped runaway
slaves escape to north
• It was not run by just a
single person
• As many as 100k A.As
escaped along it
 What were
Conductors?
• person who
helped out on
the underground
railroad
• lead slaves to
freedom.
• Harriet Tubman
 What were stations?
• “safe houses” where “runaways” knew that
could be safely hidden
• homes or barns of Quakers or other
Christians
• Levi Coffin was one of the most famous
conductors.
– He helped lead 3,000 people to freedom
 What was some other lingo?
• Runaways were
“packages” or “hams”
• “follow the drinking
gourde” which meant to
follow the big dipper
• Runaways knew that
“dead trees would point
the way”
– this meant moss grew on
the north side of dead
trees