Underground Railroad
What was the Underground Railroad? |
The Underground Railroad was a network of secret routes and safe houses by the enslaved during the 19th century to help them reach the free states and Canada. They had the help of abolitionists and others who were sympathetic of their cause. There were also other routes that reached Mexico and overseas. One estimate says that by 1850, around 100,000 slaves escaped through the Underground Railroad. There were songs and people who would guide them along the way to freedom. For example, "Follow the Drinking Gourd" which was a song used to guide slaves toward the routes. Also, abolitionists known as "conductors" guided them along the way.
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Harriet Tubman |
Harriet Tubman was born 1822 and was born into slavery. She later escaped and became an American abolitionist, humanitarian and an armed scout and spy for the United States Army during the Civil war. She made 13 missions to rescue about 70 slaves. To help the enslaved, she used a network of antislavery routes and safe houses known as the Underground Railroad. On April 20, 2016, the United States treasury department planned to change the face on the $20 bill from Andrew Jackson to Harriet Tubman.
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