The Underground Railroad

by Bonnie Bader

  When a slave made the decision to run away, he often waited until dark. If he could find a bit of food to take along, he would, but otherwise he would just leave with the clothes on his back. In the early days of the Underground Railroad, most passengers were men. It was especially risky for women and children to flee. Women and girls who escaped sometimes disguised themselves as men and boys.

  Slaves had secret ways of letting their friends know that they were about to escape. Sometimes they passed their secrets by singing when they were working in the field. Their overseers did not listen to the words of the songs the slaves sang. “Let My People Go” was one song slaves often used to let the other slaves know that an escape plan was in the works.

  The runaways often traveled about fifteen miles per night. They had no compass or map to guide them. When the sky was clear, they used the North Star to guide them in the right direction. When the sky was covered with clouds, slaves felt for moss on the forest trees. They knew that moss mainly grows on the north side of trees.

  Since the Underground Railroad was a secret, there were no written records at the time about how it operated, or what paths the escaped slaves took. But through word of mouth, slaves found out which way to go. Some slaves ran away to Florida. Up until 1845, Florida was not a part of the United States. In Florida, some slaves lived with the Seminole Indians. Other runaways joined secret communities hidden in deep woods or swamps. Some even ran all the way to Mexico. But most runaway slaves headed north to the free states or to Canada. They crossed swamps, rivers, forests, fields, and mountains. They were often hungry and tired and filthy, and they were always in great danger—but they pressed on to freedom.

  Escaping from slavery in Maryland

  Running through the countryside wasn’t the only way a slave could escape. Henry Brown, a slave from Virginia, hatched a very crafty escape plan. Brown asked a free black man to construct a box for him. The box wasn’t very big—only 3 feet long, 2 feet wide, and about 2.5 feet deep. The man drilled one airhole into the box, and Brown climbed inside with a bit of food and water. Nailed shut, the box was taken by white abolitionist Samuel Alexander Smith to a shipping company. Inside the box, Brown traveled by train, steamboat, ferry, and wagon. He traveled upside down and sideways as the box was tossed about. He was scared and his head hurt. But when the box was delivered twenty-seven hours later to the Anti-Slavery Society in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and opened, Brown did not complain. He looked at his rescuers and said, “How do you do, Gentlemen?” From then on, he was known as Henry “Box” Brown. Although Brown’s story had a good ending, Samuel Alexander Smith was later thrown in jail for helping Brown, and other slaves, escape.

  Frederick Douglass and other abolitionists watching Henry Brown come out of his shipping crate

  Another slave who made a daring escape was sixteen-year-old Caroline Quarlls. Caroline, a slave in St. Louis, Missouri, decided to run away after her mistress got angry with her and cut off her long, dark, beautiful hair. Caroline had light skin, so she decided to take her chances that people would believe she was white. She did not run away under the cover of darkness. Instead, she boarded a ship headed to Illinois, saying that she was going to go to a school for young ladies. No one suspected that she was a runaway slave. Of course, once off the boat, Caroline didn’t go to the school—she headed north, to freedom. But Caroline was in danger: Her master had spread the word that she had escaped. So Caroline had to find safe places to hide. She hid in people’s homes. She hid in farms. She even hid in a wooden barrel. There was a reward for her capture, but with the help of conductors and safe houses, Caroline was able to travel through Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, and Michigan to reach Canada, where she was finally free.

  Many slaves, however, did not make it to freedom when they tried to escape. Some became sick along the way and could not continue on; others simply gave up, or worse, were caught. Once the slave owner discovered his slave was missing, he would look for the runaway. He would hang up wanted posters all over town and take out ads in newspapers, offering a reward to entice others to help with the search. If the slave was captured, he or she would be harshly punished. Returned slaves were often whipped, beaten, or branded with red-hot irons. Some were made to wear iron collars with bells around their necks so their owners would know if they tried to run away again. Still, many did try to run away again, and again, and again, determined to reach freedom.

  “The night Momma and me make our escape, a full moon shine through the tall pines. We run from shadow to shadow, deeper and deeper into the woods. Sounds grow stranger. Owls screech. Bats swoop over our heads. Momma take my hand and hurries us along. I stumble over branches and rocks, roots and bushes. There’s a dark shape in the bushes up ahead—when it moves, I scream. Momma stops and press her hand over my mouth. My screams put us in danger. Esther couldn’t come because she might cry and give us away, and here I am acting like a baby. I hush up. We travel on through swamps, water up to our knees, pulling our feet through muck, crawling through prickle vines. I stub my toe on a rock and fall down. This time I do not scream out.”

  When a slave escaped, his master would set out to look for him. Most of the time, the master would offer a reward for the return of his slave. These rewards, or bounties, encouraged people to become slave catchers. Many slave catchers were poor whites who hunted down runaway slaves for the promise of money.

  Once the slaves were caught, they were flogged or whipped. John Capehart was a policeman from Norfolk, Virginia, who was hired to flog slaves. When asked in court, “How many negroes do you suppose you have flogged, in all, women and children included?” John Capehart answered, “I don’t know how many you have got here in Massachusetts, but I should think I had flogged as many as you’ve got in the State.”

  Slave catchers hunted high and low for a runaway slave. They could stop any person of color for questioning. Sometimes, they used bloodhounds to follow the slave’s scent. Dogs would chase an escaped slave and bite him, tearing his clothes and skin. Then the slave catcher would take the slave back to his master and collect a reward.

  Other times, slave owners would advertise a reward for their missing slaves. On September 22, 1835, a slave owner placed an ad in a local Tennessee newspaper looking for his missing slave. “$250 REWARD. Ran away or stolen … on the night of the 16th, Sept., a negro woman named HANNAH. About 40 years old, 5 feet 3 or 4 inches high, thick built, speaks low … has a sulky appearance, bushy hair, and wore a blue domestic frock but had other clothes … She is most probably in Arkansas making her way up the river.”

  Advertisement for missing slaves

  Anthony Burns was a young slave living in Richmond, Virginia. His master allowed him to earn money by working for others, as long as he gave his master some of his pay. Anthony Burns learned to read and write, but he was not happy because he was still a slave. One day, he used the money he’d earned to board a ship to Boston, Massachusetts. Once he landed in Boston, he was a free man. Or so he thought.

  What Anthony didn’t realize is that about four years earlier, the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 was passed. This act required all United States citizens to return escaped slaves to their owners—even slaves who were living in free states.

  Fugitive slaves, Virginia, 1862

  With the promise of a reward, slave catchers started to look for Anthony Burns. His master eventually found him in Boston, and Anthony was thrown in jail. The people of Boston did not like this; they thought the Fugitive Slave Act was wrong. An angry mob stormed the courthouse where Anthony was held. Some people offered to buy his freedom. But nothing helped. On June 2, 1854, Anthony Burns was convicted of being a fugitive slave and ordered to return to Virginia.

  1854 pamphlet about the trial of fugitive slave Anthony Burns

  On the day of Burns’s departure, a crowd formed outside the courthouse. The crowd grew, and grew, and grew. The United States military and local police were called in to clear the streets. Still, more people came. They hung
out from windows, peered over balconies, and climbed up on roofs. Fifty thousand people in all came out! More reinforcements were called, and a cannon was rolled in. Desperately, the courthouse officials tried to clear a path. Soldiers on horseback swung swords at the crowd. Ignoring the protesters, officials ushered Anthony Burns out of the courthouse and marched him onto a waiting boat. He was returned to slavery.

  Lucy Bagby is thought to be the last escaped slave returned to slavery. In 1860, the year before the Civil War started, eighteen-year-old Lucy used the Underground Railroad to escape from West Virginia. She found work as a maid in Cleveland, Ohio, but her former owner found her and had her arrested. A lawyer tried to help Lucy, but the court ordered her to go back to West Virginia. Lucy was once again a slave.

  The Fugitive Slave Act also meant that many free black men were caught and sold into slavery. Solomon Northup was born in 1808 in Minerva, New York, a free black man. He was a farmer and a great violin player. Solomon was married and had three children. One day, some men offered to pay him to play the violin. But it was a trick. The men kidnapped Solomon and sold him into slavery in Louisiana. He was beaten and forced to work hard. He tried again and again to get his freedom. He told people he was a free man, but no one listened. One day, an antislavery carpenter named Samuel Bass came to the plantation. Samuel believed Solomon’s story and helped deliver letters to Samuel’s friends in New York to tell them what had happened. Solomon’s friends eventually found a lawyer to help Solomon. On January 4, 1853, after spending twelve years as a slave, Solomon was set free.

  Solomon Northup

  Northern cities with communities of free black people and former slaves were often destinations for runaway slaves. White abolitionists formed vigilance committees in Northern cities, including New York, Boston, Philadelphia, and many others. These committees organized unofficial police forces to keep slave catchers out of their neighborhoods. Although former slaves living in these cities could take some comfort in this form of protection, those traveling on the Underground Railroad had to constantly beware.

  “While we running to freedom, me and Momma are on the lookout for slave catchers. But when I see a light ahead, I’m sure it’s a lantern for the safe house. I am so excited at the thought of bein’ free, that I pull ahead of Momma. I’m running fast—running to freedom! I race toward the light. It ain’t the safe house. The light come from a small campfire—with a group of men gathered round it! A gruff voice call out to me, and I turn and see a white man. He wearing a gray jacket and a gray hat. I am face-to-face with a Confederate soldier! He fighting for the South. For slavery. He can send me back to Master Stevens. My heart races. He say to me, ‘Boy, fetch me some water.’ Boy? Then I remember my disguise. He think I am a boy, a boy slave in the Confederate camp. My eyes dart around for the water. I spot the bucket, bring it to him. He drink and lie down, so I lie down, too, at the edge of the camp. When I’m sure he asleep, I creep away to find Momma. She couldn’t come into the Confederate camp to rescue me. That would have give us both away! I had to think on my own. Act on my own. We are far from the soldier camp when Momma tell me she’s proud of me. She say Poppa would be proud of me, too.”

  Defying the law, many people secretly helped slaves on their escape routes. These helpers, known as “conductors,” hid slaves in their wagons and boats and transported them to the next stop. Some also provided clothing, food, and even medicine. Some conductors were men, others women, some black and some white.

  The conductors who worked in the South had particularly dangerous jobs. Sometimes they sneaked into plantations to secretly usher out the slaves and take them north. A lot of conductors were paid by free family members. Others became conductors because they thought it was the right thing to do. All were risking punishment—a conductor who was caught could be fined, jailed, or hanged. Jonathan Walker was a white sea captain who was caught helping slaves escape by boat in Pensacola, Florida. His punishment? A red-hot iron was pressed into his palm and he was branded with the letters “SS,” which stood for “slave stealer.”

  John Fairfield’s family owned slaves in Virginia. Growing up, one of his closest friends was a boy named Sam. Sam was a slave owned by the Fairfields. When the boys got older, they took a trip north. Along the way, John pretended Sam was his personal slave. Their act worked, and the pair made it all the way to Canada, where Sam could live as a free man. John Fairfield was probably very happy that he helped his friend make it to freedom, but he knew his job wasn’t done. John Fairfield went on to become one of the most daring conductors on the Underground Railroad.

  As a conductor, John used acting skills. Sometimes he pretended to be a slave buyer. Other times he claimed he was a slave owner. And at times he posed as a slave catcher. But no matter who he was pretending to be, he always carried a gun. In some cases, he gave the slaves rifles so they would be able to fight if a slave hunter caught up with them. Other times he bought train tickets for the slaves he was helping and they rode north together. Although he helped hundreds of slaves to freedom, sometimes he was caught and sent to jail. But daring John Fairfield broke out of jail several times and continued his work as a conductor.

  John Fairfield

  Many free blacks and former slaves also worked as conductors on the Underground Railroad. John P. Parker was born into slavery in Norfolk, Virginia. By 1845, he was a free man living in Ripley, Ohio. During the day, he was an ironworker. At night, he was a conductor on the Underground Railroad. Although Ohio was a Northern state, Ripley was mostly pro-slavery, with many slave catchers prowling around, looking for runaways. One day, John Parker heard about a group of slaves hiding in the Kentucky woods. Their leader had been captured, and they were helpless. Volunteering to go on a rescue mission, John Parker put a pair of pistols in his pocket, a knife in his belt, and set out. Deep in the woods, he found the group of ten scared slaves huddled together. Taking command of the group, John Parker led them through the woods, trying to keep them quiet. As they trudged along, branches snapped and popped, echoing through the woods. John Parker feared they would be caught.

  One of the men grew desperately thirsty. Although John Parker begged him not to, the thirsty man set off on his own to look for a spring. Suddenly, Parker heard shouts and saw the man being chased by two white men. Parker ordered his group to lie down. Then a shot rang out. John Parker pulled out his gun. Although the slaves were terrified, no one made a sound. Moments later, John Parker peeked out from the bushes and saw the thirsty man being led by a rope, his arms tied behind his back. The man went to face his punishment alone; he did not betray the rest of the group.

  Knowing that they were in more danger than ever, John Parker pressed the group to move faster. They soon arrived at a river where John had arranged for a boat. But when the group arrived, the boat was not yet there. John Parker led them down the banks of the river, hoping to find another boat. At last, they found one, but it only had room for nine. Two men were left on the shore. As the others piled into the boat, a women cried out—her husband was one of the men on the shore, and she did not want to go without him. Selflessly, an unmarried man in the group walked to shore, giving his spot to the woman’s husband. As Parker rowed the group to safety, he heard the men on the shore shout. Parker knew this could only mean one thing. The men on shore had been captured, while he and his fugitives were safe.

  Harriet Tubman was the most famous conductor on the Underground Railroad. She was born into slavery in Maryland around 1820. When she was little, her master hired her out to another family to watch their baby. Minty (as she was called then) had to sleep on the floor without a mattress or a blanket, and she was whipped if the baby cried. One time, Minty took a sugar cube from the table when no one was looking. She had never tasted sugar before and couldn’t help herself. But she knew what she did was wrong, and would surely get whipped. So she ran away and hid in a pigpen. Minty fought with the piglets for scraps. She was cold, and tired, and scared. After five days, Minty couldn’t take
living with the pigs any longer. Filthy and starving, Minty returned to face her punishment.

  By 1849, Minty, who was now known as Harriet, married a free black named John Tubman. Harriet’s master died around this time, and she was afraid she would be sold, so she decided to escape to the North. She asked her husband to go with her, but he refused. So Harriet packed some food and a quilt and set out to find freedom. She finally reached Philadelphia, where she found work and tried to save some money. But she was very lonely and she missed her family. So, using the money she saved up, she returned to the South to rescue her family members and other slaves, too. She returned to the South again and again–about nineteen times in all.

  Harriet Tubman

  Harriet Tubman got the nickname Moses because she was so successful at leading people to freedom, just as Moses is said to have led the Hebrews out of slavery in ancient Egypt. Many people tried to capture her, but they couldn’t. If she heard dogs, she kept going. If she saw torches in the woods, she kept going. If she heard shouting behind her, she kept going. She was determined to help other slaves reach freedom.

  Not all slaves on the Underground Railroad had conductors to lead them to freedom. It was a lot harder—and scarier—when runaway slaves were on their own. They could get lost, they could get hurt, they could be captured, they could die. But with or without a conductor, most slaves would take any chance they got to run to freedom.

  One resourceful woman escaped from a plantation in Mississippi by herself. One dark night, she bundled together a bit of food and some clothing and stole away to the forest. For several days, she made her way through dense swamps and vine-covered thickets. She knew there were snakes and alligators lurking about, but facing those animals would be better than facing her master’s whip.