The Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad refers to the movement of self-emancipation of enslaved people of African descent to escape bondage and gain freedom, and the network of people and places who aided their escapes. While self-emancipation, escape, and resistance have existed everywhere that there has been human slavery, the Underground Railroad generally refers to a period in the early to mid-19th century United States--particularly after the 1850 Fugitive Slave Act--with organized methods and people who actively assisted escapes. While most freedom seekers self-emancipated without assistance, organized activity to assist escapes increased every decade that slavery was legal in the United States.
Harriet Tubman did extraordinary work with abolitionist causes and as the Underground Railroad's most famous conductor. Her heroic efforts in personally leading people out of slavery to freedom in the North defined her as the "Moses of her People."
Learn more about Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad in the articles below:
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 Connections between African American history and Cuyahoga Valley National Park are reflected in the stories of Carl B. Stokes, Jane Edna Hunter, John Malvin, and Lewis Clarke.  Black history is interwoven with the story of 105 Brattle Street. Since its construction, this house and its inhabitants have been shaped by slavery and influenced by the fight for Black civil rights. This research guide features detailed lists of the holdings in the Longfellow Archives and Special Collections that are connected to Black history, as well as complementary resources from the National Park Service and other institutions.  The Passages of the Western Potomac Heritage Area connects visitors to canals, rivers, railroads, and roads that shaped western Maryland’s role in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Through museums, trails, train excursions, and historic districts, guests explore stories of commerce, migration, and travel. As part of the Chesapeake Gateways Network, the heritage area offers many ways to experience the region’s transportation and river heritage.  Explore 10,000 years of history at Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum through archaeological sites, trails, exhibits, and hands-on programs along the Patuxent River.  A major port and center for commerce, Boston Harbor played an integral role in many aspects of Boston's history, including the American Revolution and the Underground Railroad.  The Stories of the Chesapeake Heritage Area spans Maryland's Eastern Shore, highlighting the region’s history, culture, and natural beauty. Explore the Underground Railroad, early American agriculture, Indigenous heritage, and maritime industries. Visit historic sites linked to Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass. Scenic byways and waterways connect small towns, preserved landscapes, and cultural landmarks, offering a unique Chesapeake watershed experience. A vocal opponent of the Fugitive Slave Law, lawyer and judge Thomas Russell Jr. served as a member of the 1850 Boston Vigilance Committee.  By the 1830s, the United States was deeply divided over slavery. Northern abolitionists called for its end, while southern states viewed these demands as a threat to their economy and way of life. Congress attempted to maintain balance by admitting free and slave states in pairs. Tensions intensified with the Fugitive Slave Act of 1793, which led to the 1848 trials of abolitionists Thomas Garrett and John Hunn in Delaware’s New Castle Court House. According to an 1850 broadside, Jeptha C. Bruce served on the Boston Vigilance Committee, an organization that assisted freedom seekers on the Underground Railroad.
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