Before and during the Civil War, the Ohio River was called the “River Jordan” by slaves crossing it to escape to freedom in the North via the Underground Railroad.
What river did the Underground Railroad go through?
The Underground Railroad was primarily a Northern phenomenon. It operated mainly in the Free States, which stands to reason. Fugitive slaves were largely on their own until they crossed the Ohio River or the Mason-Dixon Line, thereby reaching a Free State.
Why was the Ohio River called River Jordan?
The Ohio became known as the “River Jordan,” symbolizing the path to the promised land. In the urban centers of Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Louisville, and Evansville, blacks faced racial hostility from outside their immediate neighborhoods as well as class, color, and cultural fragmentation among themselves.
What was the Mississippi River sometimes referred to on the Underground Railroad?
The Mississippi River was called the “River Jordan” from the Bible. In keeping with the railroad terminology, escaping slaves were often referred to as passengers or cargo.
What was another name for the Underground Railroad?
The Railroad was often known as the “freedom train” or “Gospel train”, which headed towards “Heaven” or “the Promised Land”, i.e., Canada. William Still, sometimes called “The Father of the Underground Railroad”, helped hundreds of slaves escape (as many as 60 a month), sometimes hiding them in his Philadelphia home.
Where was the Underground Railroad?
There were many well-used routes stretching west through Ohio to Indiana and Iowa. Others headed north through Pennsylvania and into New England or through Detroit on their way to Canada.
What two rivers form the Ohio?
Beginning at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the Ohio is formed by the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers. It ends 981 miles later at Cairo, Illinois when it empties into the Mississippi. The average depth is 24 feet, with the deepest section of 130 feet near Louisville, Kentucky.
What rivers flow into the Ohio River?
Tributaries – The largest rivers flowing into the Ohio include Tennessee River, Cumberland River, Wabash River, Allegheny River, Monongahela River, Kanawha River and Allegheny River. Drinking water – The river supplies about five million people with drinking water.
Who named the Ohio River?
It received its English name from the Iroquois word, “O-Y-O,” meaning “the great river”. One of the first Europeans to see the Ohio River was Frenchman Rene Robert Cavelier Sieur de La Salle in 1669. He named the river “la belle riviere” or “the beautiful river.”
WHAT DID lines mean in the Underground Railroad?
The term Underground Railroad referred to the entire system, which consisted of many routes called lines. The free individuals who helped runaway slaves travel toward freedom were called conductors, and the fugitive slaves were referred to as cargo.
Where did the term Underground Railroad come from?
The term “Underground Railroad” is said to have arisen from an incident that took place in 1831. Legend has it that a Kentucky runaway slave by the name of Tice Davids swam across the Ohio River with slave catchers, including his old master, in hot pursuit.
When was the term Underground Railroad first used?
The term Underground Railroad began to be used in the early 1830s. In keeping with that name for the system, homes and businesses that harbored runaways were known as “stations” or “depots” and were run by “stationmasters.” “Conductors” moved the fugitives from one station to the next.
What’s Harriet Tubman’s real name?
The person we know as “Harriet Tubman” endured decades in bondage before becoming Harriet Tubman. Tubman was born under the name Araminta Ross sometime around 1820 (the exact date is unknown); her mother nicknamed her Minty.
How were quilts used in the Underground Railroad?
The seamstress would hang the quilts in full view one at a time, allowing the slaves to reinforce their memory of the pattern and its associated meaning. When slaves made their escape, they used their memory of the quilts as a mnemonic device to guide them safely along their journey, according to McDaniel.
Kids History: Underground Railroad
Civil War is a historical event that occurred in the United States. During the American Civil War, the phrase “Underground Railroad” was used to describe a network of persons, residences, and hiding places that slaves in the southern United States used to flee to freedom in the northern United States and Canada. Is it possible that there was a railroad? The Underground Railroad wasn’t truly a railroad in the traditional sense. It was the moniker given to the method by which individuals managed to flee.
Conductors and stations are two types of conductors.
Conductors were those who were in charge of escorting slaves along the path.
Even those who volunteered their time and resources by donating money and food were referred to as shareholders.
- Who was employed by the railroad?
- Some of the Underground Railroad’s conductors were former slaves, such as Harriet Tubman, who escaped slavery by way of the Underground Railroad and subsequently returned to assist other slaves in their escape.
- They frequently offered safe havens in their houses, as well as food and other supplies to those in need.
- B.
- What mode of transportation did the people use if there was no railroad?
- Slaves would frequently go on foot during the night.
- The distance between stations was generally between 10 and 20 miles.
Was it a potentially hazardous situation?
There were those trying to help slaves escape, as well as those who were attempting to aid them.
In what time period did the Underground Railroad operate?
It reached its zenith in the 1850s, just before the American Civil War.
How many people were able to flee?
Over 100,000 slaves are said to have fled over the railroad’s history, with 30,000 escaping during the peak years before the Civil War, according to some estimates.
This resulted in a rule requiring that fugitive slaves who were discovered in free states be returned to their masters in the south.
Slaves were now had to be carried all the way to Canada in order to avoid being kidnapped once more by the British.
The abolitionist movement began with the Quakers in the 17th century, who believed that slavery was incompatible with Christian principles.
Ducksters’ Lewis Hayden House is located in the town of Lewis Hayden. The Lewis Hayden House functioned as a station on the Underground Railroad during the American Civil War. Information on the Underground Railroad that is both interesting and educational
- Slave proprietors wished to be free. Harriet Tubman, a well-known train conductor, was apprehended and imprisoned. They offered a $40,000 reward for information leading to her capture. That was a significant amount of money at the time
- Levi Coffin, a Quaker who is claimed to have assisted around 3,000 slaves in gaining their freedom, was a hero of the Underground Railroad. The most usual path for individuals to escape was up north into the northern United States or Canada, although some slaves in the deep south made their way to Mexico or Florida
- Canada was known to slaves as the “Promised Land” because of its promise of freedom. The Mississippi River was originally known as the “River Jordan” in the Bible
- Fleeing slaves were sometimes referred to as passengers or freight on railroads, in accordance with railroad nomenclature
Activities
- Activities
The Civil War is one of the works cited.
Underground Railroad Terminology
Written by Dr. Bryan Walls As a descendant of slaves who traveled the Underground Railroad, I grew up enthralled by the stories my family’s “Griot” told me about his ancestors. It was my Aunt Stella who was known as the “Griot,” which is an African name that means “keeper of the oral history,” since she was the storyteller of our family. Despite the fact that she died in 1986 at the age of 102, her mind remained keen till the very end of her life. During a conversation with my Aunt Stella, she informed me that John Freeman Walls was born in 1813 in Rockingham County, North Carolina and journeyed on the Underground Railroad to Maidstone, Ontario in 1846.
- Many historians believe that the Underground Railroad was the first big liberation movement in the Americas, and that it was the first time that people of many races and faiths came together in peace to fight for freedom and justice in the United States.
- Escaped slaves, as well as those who supported them, need rapid thinking as well as a wealth of insight and information.
- The Underground Railroad Freedom Movement reached its zenith between 1820 and 1865, when it was at its most active.
- A Kentucky fugitive slave by the name of Tice Davids allegedly swam across the Ohio River as slave catchers, including his former owner, were close on his trail, according to legend.
- He was most likely assisted by nice individuals who were opposed to slavery and wanted the practice to be abolished.
- “He must have gotten away and joined the underground railroad,” the enraged slave owner was overheard saying.
- As a result, railroad jargon was employed in order to maintain secrecy and confound the slave hunters.
In this way, escaping slaves would go through the forests at night and hide during the daytime hours.
In order to satiate their hunger for freedom and proceed along the treacherous Underground Railroad to the heaven they sung about in their songs—namely, the northern United States and Canada—they took this risky route across the wilderness.
Despite the fact that they were not permitted to receive an education, the slaves were clever folks.
Freedom seekers may use maps created by former slaves, White abolitionists, and free Blacks to find their way about when traveling was possible during the day time.
The paths were frequently not in straight lines; instead, they zigzagged across wide places in order to vary their smell and confuse the bloodhounds on the trail.
The slaves could not transport a large amount of goods since doing so would cause them to become sluggish.
Enslaved people traveled the Underground Railroad and relied on the plant life they encountered for sustenance and medical treatment.
The enslaved discovered that Echinacea strengthens the immune system, mint relieves indigestion, roots can be used to make tea, and plants can be used to make poultices even in the winter when they are dormant, among other things.
After all, despite what their owners may have told them, the Detroit River is not 5,000 miles wide, and the crows in Canada will not peck their eyes out.
Hopefully, for the sake of the Freedom Seeker, these words would be replaced by lyrics from the “Song of the Fugitive: The Great Escape.” The brutal wrongs of slavery I can no longer tolerate; my heart is broken within me, for as long as I remain a slave, I am determined to strike a blow for freedom or the tomb.” I am now embarking for yonder beach, beautiful land of liberty; our ship will soon get me to the other side, and I will then be liberated.
No more will I be terrified of the auctioneer, nor will I be terrified of the Master’s frowns; no longer will I quiver at the sound of the dogs baying.
All of the brave individuals who were participating in the Underground Railroad Freedom Movement had to acquire new jargon and codes in order to survive. To go to the Promised Land, one needed to have a high level of ability and knowledge.
Songs of the Underground Railroad : Harriet Tubman
African slaves incorporated songs into their daily routines. Singing was a custom brought to America by the earliest slaves from Africa; their songs are frequently referred to as spirituals. It performed a variety of functions, including supplying repeating rhythm for repetitive physical labor, as well as serving as an inspiration and incentive. Singing was also used to communicate their shared beliefs and solidarity with one another, as well as to mark important occasions. Because the majority of slaves were illiterate, songs were employed to help them recall and communicate with one another.
Music coded with instructions on how to escape, also known as signal songs, or where to rendezvous, known as map songs, was played during the performance.
Songs made use of biblical allusions and comparisons to biblical characters, places, and tales, while also drawing parallels between them and their own past of enslavement.
To a slave, however, it meant being ready to go to Canada.
In Wade in the Water
Tubman used the phrase “Wade in the Water” to instruct slaves to enter the water in order to avoid being spotted and make it through. This is an example of a map song, in which the lyrics contain codes that denote the locations of various landmarks. The following are the lyrics to the song “Wade in the Water.” Chorus: Children, wade in the water, wade in the water, wade in the water Wade through the water. God is going to cause turmoil in the sea. What is the identity of those children who are all dressed in red?
- They must be the ones who followed Moses.
- Chorus What is the identity of those children who are all clothed in white?
- It has to be the ones belonging to the Israelites.
- Chorus What is the identity of those children who are all clothed in blue?
- They must be the ones who made it to the other side.
- Chorus
Steal Away
This song conveys the message that the person who is singing it is intending to flee. sneak away, steal away, steal away! is the chorus. Is it possible to steal away to Jesus? Slip away, steal away to your own house! I don’t have much time left in this place! My Lord has summoned me! He screams out to me above the thunder!
It’s like the trumpet is blowing in my spirit! I don’t have much time left in this place! Chorus My Lord has summoned me! He yells my name because of the illumination! It’s like the trumpet is blowing in my spirit! I don’t have much time left in this place! Chorus.
Sweet Chariot
According to this song, the one singing it is preparing to flee the country. sneak away, steal away! repeats the chorus. Taking Jesus away from me? Home is where the thief goes. The time is ticking away on me! I’ve been summoned by the Lord! By the thunder, he summons me. Within me, I can hear the trumpet playing. The time is ticking away on me! Chorus I’ve been summoned by the Lord! His lights is what he uses to beckon me! Within me, I can hear the trumpet playing. The time is ticking away on me!
Follow the Drinking Gourd
As the days become longer in the spring, this song advises that you should move away. Additionally, it is used to allude to quails, which begin calling to one another around April. The drinking gourd is really a water dipper, which is a code name for the Big Dipper, which is a constellation that points to the Pole Star in the direction of the north. Because moss develops on the north side of dead trees, if the Big Dipper is not visible, dead trees will steer them in the right direction. I When the sun returns and the first quail calls, it’s time to get out of bed.
- Because the elderly guy is standing by, ready to transport you to freedom.
- The riverside serves as a highly effective road.
- Follow the Drinking Gourd with your left foot, peg foot, and traveling on.
- Follow the path of the Drinking Gourd.
- Follow the path of the Drinking Gourd.
- Follow the path of the Drinking Gourd.
- If you go the path of the drinking gourd.
This song gives them the assurance that it is safe to approach her.
I salute you, ye joyful spirits, I salute you.
A thousand angels surround Him, constantly ready to fulfill his commands; they hover over you at all times, until you reach the celestial realm.
He whose thunders tremble creation, He who commands the planets to move, He who rides atop the tempest, And whose scepter sways the entire universe is the God of Thunder.
Sarah Hopkins Bradford’s book Harriet Tubman, the Moses of her People, is the source for this information.
All the way down into Egypt’s territory, Please tell old Pharaoh that my people must be let to leave.
I heard that Pharaoh would cross the river; let my people go; and don’t get lost in the desert; let my people go. Chorus He sits in the Heavens and answers prayer, so let my people leave! You may obstruct me here, but you cannot obstruct me up there, so let my people go! Chorus
Songs of the African American Civil Rights Movement
Coded music, underground railroad, Underground Railroad codes, Underground Railroad codes Underground Railroad is a subcategory of the category Underground Railroad.
River Jordan: African American Urban Life in the Ohio Valley
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Description
Since the eighteenth century, the Ohio River has served as a major dividing line between African Americans and whites. It served as a gateway to freedom in the Underground Railroad, and it served as a border between the Jim Crow South and the metropolitan North during the Industrial Revolution. The Ohio River came to be known as the “River Jordan,” since it represented the journey to the promised land. In the metropolitan centers of Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Louisville, and Evansville, blacks were confronted with racial animosity from beyond their own communities, as well as divisions based on class, race, and culture inside their own neighborhoods.
- Unlike most studies of black urban life, Trotter’s study takes into account a number of places and examines their economic situations, demographic composition, political and cultural settings, and other factors to arrive at a conclusion.
- This book provides a detailed picture of African-American urban life from the colonial period until around 1960.
- Trotter looks for regional motifs of the black experience in the cities of Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Louisville, and Evansville, among other places.
- -Henry L.
- -Indiana Magazine of History and Literature It encompasses a significant amount of intellectual terrain.
- It serves as an essential model for aspiring scholars in the future.
- Journal of American History (Journal of American History) Joe Trotter’s well researched and written synthesis of African American history in the Ohio Valley analyzes black life in four significant urban communities: Cincinnati, Evansville, Louisville, and Pittsburgh, among others.
- Journal of Illinois History, to name a few.
- -Northwest Ohio Quarterly, published quarterly It sheds light on the significance of the Ohio River in the context of the greater American narrative.
- This is a fantastic book.
-History of the Ohio Valley It makes a significant contribution to our knowledge of urban challenges. -Pennsylvania’s Historical Background
Publisher
The University Press of Kentucky is a scholarly publishing house based in Lexington, Kentucky.
Keywords
The Ohio River Valley is home to African Americans.
Recommended Citation
“River Jordan: African American Urban Life in the Ohio Valley,” by Joe William Jr. Trotter, “River Jordan: African American Urban Life in the Ohio Valley” (1998). African American Studies, number eight.