The Underground Railroad

The Underground Railroad, a brief volume in the five-part series Understanding Slavery in America, presents an overview of how the network known as the Underground Railroad helped slaves to reach freedom in the North. The Underground Railroad (various overland routes with “safe” homes in which those favorable to the abolitionist cause hid northern-bound slaves) flourished from 1810 until Congress passed the Fugitive Slave Act in 1850, which made offering aid to runaway slaves a punishable crime. By that time, over 3,000 committed individuals, including famous “conductors” such as Thomas Garrett and Harriet Tubman, were working on the Railroad, helping “passengers” to reach free states. This teen-hosted program combines live-action re-enactments, historical documents, and maps to bring this important chapter in American history to life. The other titles in the series are: The Life of an Enslaved Person, Abraham Lincoln, Harriet Tubman, and The Abolitionist Movement. Recommended. Aud: E, I. (E. Gieschen)