Underground Railroad

 The Underground Railroad was a way for slaves to escape and find freedom before and during the Civil War. The Underground Railroad wasn�t actually a railroad at all, the name originated because during the time that all these events were taking place the railroad was becoming increasingly popular. When people talk about the escape they use terms referring to railroad as symbols.

The entire journey was thousands of miles through almost impossible elements. They had to travel through the woods, through fields, through rivers, on boats, trains and wagons. They had very little time to stop and rest, because at any moment they could have been recaptured and released back into slavery.

Harriet Tubman is accredited with the escape of hundreds of slaves. Harriet Tubman escaped slavery in Maryland in 1849. She made the journey on the Underground Railroad 19 times. She became known as �Moses� to her people.

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/railroad/

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4p2944.html

http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/underground/

http://education.ucdavis.edu/NEW/STC/lesson/socstud/railroad/contents.htm

Follow the Drinking Ground

http://quest.nasa.gov/ltc/special/mlk/gourd2.html

Projects:

1. Create a PowerPoint . Write a two to three sentence statement that describes your thoughts and feelings (your reaction) about what you have learned:

• about slavery
• about courage
• about the Underground Railroad

2. Create a Photostory with the pictures you collected from your research

Create captions that answer the following questions.

• Why did they runaway?
• How did they escape? Who helped them?
• How and when did they travel?
• Describe some of the ways they hide so they couldn't be found.
• Describe some of the routes they used.
• Who were the people that helped them, and why?

3. Write a biography about one other important person who you find in your research about the Underground Railroad.  Include at least five important events / accomplishments in their lives and how they relate to the underground railroad

Other important people include:

• John Brown
• Anthony Burns
• Ellen and William Craft
• Levi Coffin
• Abby Foster
• Thomas Garrett
• William Lloyd Garrison
• Lucretia Mott
• Wendell Phillips
• John S. Rock
• Elizabeth Cady Stanton
• Maria Stewart
• Harriet Beecher Stowe
• Sojourner Truth
• David Walker
• Booker T. Washington

4. Create a timeline about the Underground Railroad.  When did it begin?  What were some important events?  

You can use the Read Write and think time line creator at http://www.readwritethink.org/materials/timeline/

5. Imagine you and your partner are runaway slaves in pre-Civil war times.  Travel back in time and write an historical fiction short story about your journey.