Heroic Story About the Route Through America

Everyone has probably heard of the Underground Railroad. We all know the heroic tale of a route through America that helped slaves travel from the South to the North with the help of a well known woman, Harriet Tubman. Other influential people such as Frederick Douglass, Levi Coffin, white abolitionists, and people in Northern States were also major factors in the affairs of the Underground Railroad that account for the great influences of this slave rebellion system. Ideas of abolishing slavery sprang up during this time period and were heavily influenced.

The Underground Railroad had a vital influence in the abolition of slavery by raising awareness, fighting back against slave laws, and giving fugitives the ability to discreetly fight for their freedom.

Within the Underground Railroad, there were two inner systems; The Northern Railroad and the Southern Railroad. The Southern Railroad was used to transport the slaves up North. Once they crossed the Mason- Dixon line, (the boundary that separated free and slave states), they would head onto the Northern Railroad.

This was used to keep slaves from being caught and brought back to the South. There was also the “reverse Underground Railroad” where black men and women, free or escaped slaves, would be kidnapped and hidden in homes to be sold back into slavery. Special terminology was used to slyly talk about the Underground Railroad. For example, “stations” were hiding spots, “lines” were routes, and “conductors” were usually white abolitionists.

The Underground Railroad raised awareness of the cruelty of slavery by exposing the reality of slavery.

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On March 20, 1852, Harriet Beecher Stowe published a book called “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” which explicitly described the unjust treatment of slavery and unimaginable punishments. Although Harriet Beecher Stowe was white, much of her knowledge came from what she witnessed on the Underground Railroad. With the help of Harriet Tubman, Stowe was able to write close to realistic experiences of the slaves so the white majority of the United States would realize how cruel it was. Uncle Tom’s Cabin was the most read novel of that time period, aside from the Bible. The novel revealed a clear view on slavery which changed most of the public’s racist views on it.

Levi Coffin, an abolitionist man whose home was a popular station for slaves to hide in, had a very large impact on raising awareness through the Underground Railroad. His first thoughts of abolition came from his face to face experience as a child. His family also strongly influenced his views. “both my parents and grandparents were opposed to slavery, and none of either of the families ever owned slaves; and all were friends of the oppressed, so i claim that i inherited my anti-slavery principles” (ABC-CLIO). He witnessed a group of slaves being chained and cuffed together. Later on, when the Underground Railroad started becoming popular, he welcomed fugitive slaves into his home and provided them with safety, food, water, and shelter, claiming he was “never too busy to engage in underground railroad affairs.” In 1863, Coffin became a leading figure in the Western Freedman’s Aid Society, where he brought attention to the slaves’ condition.

He spoke out and recited speeches that changed much of the public’s view. The growing popularity of the Underground Railroad inspired much of America, mostly the Northern states, to fight back against multiple slave laws. In 1793, Congress passed the Fugitive Slave Act, which enabled the local government to punish anyone helping the fugitives. It also insisted that all fugitive slaves that were caught were to be brought back to their masters. This, of course, contrasted with the Underground Railroad’s main purpose, which was just developing at the time. As people opened their eyes to the harsh conditions of slavery, they reacted negatively towards this new slave act. Northern states, especially, had abolished slavery at this time and refused to enforce the Fugitive Slave Act which resulted in its repeal that same year in 1793.

This made affairs on the Underground Railroad easier and more effective. As slave owners began to realize their lack of control for the slaves and were growing angrier, another slave act was enacted in 1850 (HISTORY). Under this second Fugitive Slave Act, fugitives could not testify on their own behalf, and they were not permitted a trial by jury. This time, it wasn’t as easy for the Northern states to refuse to enact this slave law. The government threatened them with harsh punishments if they did not want to follow. Although people who were against slavery were faced with harsher consequences, they continued to fight harder for abolitionism. The number of abolitionists increased and the operations of the Underground Railroad became more efficient. This led to the nullification of the act and and increasing number of people began fighting for the cause of the slaves, thanks to the Underground Railroad.

The Underground Railroad gave fugitives the inspiration to fight back and achieve freedom by uniting races and social classes. Everyone has heard of Harriet Tubman; the brave woman who was born into slavery and escaped, then later dedicating her life to helping hundreds of others escape. People automatically think of her when they hear the words, “Underground Railroad.” Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass, and determined abolitionists united together to fight back for the suffrage of slaves. Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass are two very similar people. Tubman was born to slave parents and worked as a slave during her childhood, until she escaped.

After she returned to help her family escape, the Underground Railroad began. Throughout her lifetime, she helped over 300 slaves escape without ever losing one (McGuire, ABC-CLIO). Tubman was determined regardless of the continuous hate she received. A poem written by the wife of a slave master expressed her feelings by saying, “Get up, bleeding Harriet, I didn’t hit you hard; Get up, bleeding Harriet, and grease your head with lard.” She also said, “Remember this is Maryland And I can beat you dead.” Tubman disregarded the threats and continued helping slaves. Frederick Douglass was also a former slave that ran away at the age of 20. Since then, he dedicated his life to helping over 400 slaves on the Underground Railroad by allowing his home to be a safe shelter for the slaves until they reached Canada. Douglass also wrote 3 autobiographies and eventually became one of the most efficient abolitionists of his time period.

In addition to Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass, motivated white abolitionists had a big role in abolishing slavery. An engraving of a trip through the Underground Railroad, “Fugitive Slaves Escape From Maryland,” shows a group of slaves of all ages being guided by white abolitionists to freedom through the forest. The engraving most likely implies that the fugitives escaped successfully in large numbers due to these white abolitionists. Another illustration named, “The Standard View of the Underground Railroad” demonstrates the same concept as “Fugitive Slaves Escape From Maryland,” which is mainly the journey of the fugitives along with a group of abolitionists (JSTOR). Due to the resistance and help of Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass, and other abolitionists, the government were able to help the abolition of slavery.

Although the Underground Railroad influenced the abolition of slavery, there were still negative aspects, such as the effect it had on the economy. Since the South still supported slavery and Britain had abolished it long ago, Britain no longer needed the South for its cotton supply. The South could no longer get loans from Britain or France and they overestimated Britain’s need for their cotton (Scherer). This led to an overproduction of cotton that no one wanted to buy, which resulted in a rapid decrease in the economy due to the cotton industry. Eventually, when a large number of slaves ran away and were no longer working, less profits were being made. The economy worsened due to the decrease of slave labor, which was not good for the growing America.

The Underground Railroad raised awareness for the cruelty of slavery, inspired people to fight back against slave laws, and united different people to give the inspiration for a better future. Persistent people such as Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass, abolitionists, and determined people in Northern states were able to influence the abolition of slavery and changed Americans’ perspectives on the issue of slavery. Due to the consistent fighting against the South and the people who agreed with slavery along the Underground Railroad, along with foreign countries’ help, a giant step towards the abolition of slavery was made. Today, we can thank the Underground Railroad for having so much influence on how far America has progressed towards equality.

Bibliography

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