Operation Underground Railroad (O.U.R.) is a United States-based nonprofit organization whose stated goal is to assist government agencies in the rescue of human trafficking and sex trafficking victims, with a special focus on children, with the wider goal of eliminating sex trafficking world-wide.
How was the Underground Railroad like a real railroad?
- Nope! Despite its name, the Underground Railroad wasn’t a railroad in the way Amtrak or commuter rail is. It wasn’t even a real railroad. It was a metaphoric one, where “conductors,” that is basically escaped slaves and intrepid abolitionists, would lead runaway slaves from one “station,” or save house to the next.
Where does operation underground railroad work?
Operation Underground Railroad currently supports operation and aftercare efforts in 28 countries and 48 U.S. States.
What is the operation Underground Railroad jump team?
They are the Jump Team of Operation Underground Railroad, and they rescue children from sex traffickers. For O.U.R., that includes gathering intelligence, working with local law enforcement, and understanding how the traffickers are organized and move children. In only six months, O.U.R. has rescued 59 children.
Who rescues children from trafficking?
Phantom Rescue is an elite group of former Law Enforcement, FBI, State Department, US Special Operations, & Business Professionals who have united with one clear objective…to eradicate child trafficking through education, outreach and by assisting authorities with identifying the Global Sex Trafficking Industry Network
Is Gardy Mardy still missing?
Although he is still missing today, we will never give up until we FIND GARDY. To date, we have rescued over 3,800 survivors and assisted in the arrests of over 2,100 traffickers and predators. Gardy’s story has led to the freedom of thousands.
Was Gardy Mardy found?
While it never found Gardy, OUR has said that hunting for him led to innumerable other rescues. The organization and Ballard have said that they’re still searching for the boy to this day, and that in the process, children around the world have been liberated from traffickers.
Is Tim Ballard LDS?
After growing up in California, Ballard attended Brigham Young University (BYU) in Provo, Utah. As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he went on a church mission to Chile and then graduated cum laude from BYU with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish and Political Science.
Does the Underground Railroad still exist?
It includes four buildings, two of which were used by Harriet Tubman. Ashtabula County had over thirty known Underground Railroad stations, or safehouses, and many more conductors. Nearly two-thirds of those sites still stand today.
Who built the Underground Railroad?
In the early 1800s, Quaker abolitionist Isaac T. Hopper set up a network in Philadelphia that helped enslaved people on the run.
How do you join the jump team?
To sign up, go to ourrescue.org click Join The Fight and then click Volunteer. Can I volunteer as a member of the “Jump Team”? Many individuals come to O.U.R. wanting to be on the Jump Team.
How many people has operation Underground Railroad helped?
We are pleased to report that Operation Underground Railroad helped rescue 400 victims in the United States and around the world in 2017 — an 86 percent increase over 2016. In addition, our law enforcement partners arrested 212 traffickers because of our support — a 74 percent increase from 2016.
Where is human trafficking most common?
In the United States, it is most prevalent in Texas, Florida, New York and California. Human trafficking is both a domestic and global crime, with victims trafficked within their own country, to neighboring countries and between continents.
How many children are trafficked each year?
Though statistics regarding the magnitude of child trafficking are difficult to obtain, the International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that 10,000 children are trafficked each year.
What do NGOs do for human trafficking?
Legal and administrative support is provided by NGOs to help trafficked women to deal with local authorities, immigration, and police. They may support trafficking victims in court, provide legal advice and documentation assistance, and produce and disseminate information on the rights of migrant and trafficked women.
Operation Underground Railroad
O.U.R. volunteers cast a light on the issue of child trafficking by raising cash and increasing awareness about it. We have more than 9,000 volunteers that work tirelessly to raise awareness throughout the United States and abroad! Their work is critical in the fight against human trafficking because they have the ability to contact a large number of families and individuals in their communities. The greater the number of individuals who are aware of the indicators of human trafficking, the more children we will be able to rescue and protect.
However, even if your city does not have an Area Team, there are other opportunities for you to become involved.
Some of the activities that we have witnessed O.U.R.
- Organize bake sales, 5k runs, sports competitions (basketball, pickleball, bowling), school and community assemblies, and screening parties for the Operation Toussaint documentary.
.and much more! The possibilities are virtually limitless. We are tremendously appreciative for everything that our volunteers do to help us further our mission. Volunteers make a crucial contribution to our efforts to combat human trafficking. Sign up by clicking here, and check the FAQs section below for further information. Fundraiser for the Strikes Against Slavery Organize a bake sale as a fundraiser. In Colorado, there is an awareness run to help O.U.R. FAQs What is the process for becoming a member of the “Aftercare Team”?
- People who want to become more involved with aftercare should begin by volunteering in their community and getting to know our team for at least a year before becoming more connected with it in this way.
- click Join the Fight and then click Volunteer to get started.
- Many people come to O.U.R.
- Individuals seeking to serve in this capacity are not currently being accepted; however, if you would want to be considered in the future, please complete the form and send it to [email protected] with your resume attached.
- in a variety of additional ways.
- A list of Area Teams may be found at the bottom of the sign-up form, where volunteers can join up.
- New teams are being formed on a regular basis, and there are still several opportunities for you to become part.
to speak at our event?
What steps should I take to launch a fundraising in my community?
If you have not yet registered, please click here to access the registration form!
What if I reside outside of the United States and want to volunteer?
Yes!
Those who live outside of the United States of America should put their mailing address and phone number here:.
However, you may be required to give your home address in the United States if you choose to volunteer. It is OK to enter a random address in the necessary United States space if this is the case.
What can YOU Do?
MAKE A DONATION TODAY Make others aware of the situation. DISSEMBLE THIS ARTICLE. Learn more about our new Love in Action Street Outreach Team by visiting this page.
Operation Underground Railroad
Their age is indicated by the asterisk (*). CHILDREN! Trying to make it through the day. Their stories are diverse, but none of them are pleasant to read. Some are abducted and trafficked for sex or work, while others are trafficked for narcotics. Because of persistent cultural concerns, some have parents or grandparents who cannot afford to care for them or just do not see a problem selling them. Others are married off as child brides because their parents or grandparents are unable to care for them.
- The eventual effect is servitude in all of these instances.
- But what happens after that?
- Their lives have been broken and altered for the rest of their lives, and they require healing.
- Children who are able to return home are reunited with their families.
- Unfortunately, many of these youngsters have nowhere else to turn for refugee status.
- Founder and CEO Tim Ballard explains that when he worked for the government, “we passed the children over to rehabilitation centers that would take care of them.” It was my responsibility to save them.
- have formed partnerships with ‘Aftercare’ institutions.
One of the factors that drove Ballard to establish these collaborations was a nation that refused to enable O.U.R.
OUR had inspected the recovery center in advance of the rescue and was confident that the staff there would provide excellent care for the children, but not being able to follow up on them was a source of concern.
She not only talks with potential aftercare facility directors and administrators, but she also works directly with the girls who are already in the facility, ensuring that they receive the assistance they require to succeed.
The aftercare team is comprised of the executive director, social workers, therapists, an incredible house mom, and an American woman, among other people.
Every member of the team is completely committed to their rehabilitation process.
Because to donations, O.U.R.
“We are quite appreciative for the humanitarian contributions that we have received,” said a member of the O.U.R.
Items to be given to the girls at the Aftercare Center These young women are all strong in their efforts to overcome their adversity.
Several women have been rescued from sex traffickers who had transported them to a completely different continent in order to work.
And they are incredibly appreciative for your assistance.
Jump Team member.
They were giddy with excitement for one another and stated how lovely they felt in their new outfits.
The training was for social workers, counselors, therapists, and house mothers, among other professionals.
has collaborated.
Having received a request from the nation where we were stationed, we were able to deliver them this skill-based curriculum that has been shown over years of evidence-based study to assist youngsters in their development and success.
It is the goal of Operation Underground Railroad to identify and work with aftercare providers who will continue to assist in the recovery and healing of these young victims, allowing them to have faith in themselves and their own futures.
Next month, we’ll bring you an update on a young girl who was kidnapped and pregnant when she was recovered by Operation Underground Resistance. Her future appears to be quite promising right now. Cheryl L. Karr is the author of this piece.
Operation Underground Railroad
During the summer months, Operation Underground Railroad organizes a campaign called Liberation For All to raise awareness of modern-day slavery and our battle for freedom throughout the world. A moment to reflect on our independence and freedom; a time to recall the great sacrifices made by our forebears in order to secure our liberty. The #FreedomForAll campaign was created to remind us that, despite the fact that we live in a country where we have incomparable freedom, over two million children throughout the world are enslaved in sexual slavery, according to the United Nations.
It is our aim to end modern-day slavery and make freedom a reality for all people on the face of the earth.
The Freedom For All campaign is the centerpiece of our efforts this summer.
1.Support upcoming operations in the U.S.
In the summer of every year, Operation Underground Railroad organizes a campaign called Liberation For All to raise awareness of modern-day slavery and the battle for freedom across the world. A moment to reflect on our independence and freedom; a time to recall the great sacrifices made by our forebears in order to provide us with our independence. Over two million children throughout the globe are caught in sexual servitude, according to estimates from the FreedomForAll campaign, which was launched in 2010 to remind us that, despite our amazing freedom, over two million children are locked in sexual slavery around the world.
It is our goal, and we will not rest until it is achieved.
YOU are the first step towards freedom.
Your donations in action
Liberation For All is a summer campaign launched by Operation Underground Railroad to raise awareness of modern-day slavery and our battle for freedom across the world. A moment to reflect on our independence and freedom; a time to recall the great sacrifices made by our forebears in order to secure our freedom. The #FreedomForAll campaign was created to remind us that, despite the fact that we live in a country where we have incomparable freedom, over two million children throughout the world are enslaved in sexual slavery and other forms of exploitation.
It is our aim to end modern-day slavery and make freedom a reality for all people on the face of the planet.
We are focused on Freedom For All this summer as a result.
2.Purchase a 2019 Freedom Tee
Wearing our 2019 Freedom Tee will help you start a conversation about O.U.R. Increasing public awareness of human trafficking is essential to putting an end to it. The cause is supported entirely by the revenues from shirt sales.
3. Join a local Volunteer Area Team
By wearing our 2019 Freedom Tee, you may start a discussion about O.U.R.
Making people aware of the problem is essential to putting an end it. Each and every penny of the revenue from shirt purchases goes directly to helping the cause.
4. Read our internet safety guide
By wearing our 2019 Freedom Tee, you can start a conversation about O.U.R. Raising awareness about human trafficking is essential to putting a stop to it. All earnings from the sale of t-shirts go to help the cause.
5. Learn the signs of human trafficking
Take advantage of our FREE online course to get familiar with the indicators of human trafficking and abuse as you prepare for your summer travels. This 30-minute course will assist you in understanding how to identify and report suspicious circumstances that you may come across in your daily life. Please post a picture of your completion certificate on social media!
What can YOU Do?
MAKE A DONATION TODAY Make others aware of the situation. DISSEMBLE THIS ARTICLE. See how you can help bring freedom to everyone by following us on social media at @ourrescueorg.
Operation Underground Railroad
Every youngster has the right to feel secure. We operate all around the world to rescue and protect children who are victims of human trafficking and exploitation. A significant portion of our work takes place here in our own backyard. There are several organizations in Utah that we have been able to fund in order to assist survivors in healing and feeling appreciated.
From 10 years old to 60 years old, Red-Light Outreach Helps Many
It is the right of every child to feel secure in their surroundings. Rescue and protection of children from human trafficking is something we do all around the world. In our own backyard, we are able to accomplish a significant portion of our mission. We have been able to support a number of groups in Utah that are dedicated to assisting survivors in their healing and sense of belonging.
Thirty Beds for Homeless Teenagers: Volunteers of America
Homeless teenagers and children are particularly vulnerable to sexual exploitation, and they are frequently coerced into survival trafficking, in which they are sold for sex in order to earn enough money to eat and support themselves and their families. Thirty beds for homeless youths are available through the Volunteers of America program, which is nationally known. Teens can join in these programs because they offer them with assistance and resources. Among other things, they give food, clothing, hygiene kits, and tutoring, among other things.
to work alongside them.
The Asian Association’s Drop-in Center (SLC)
We have collaborated closely with Allison Smith at what is known to be a drop-in center, which is dedicated to helping sexually exploited women and children in particular. For this drop-in facility, the Asian Association has generously given a space. Women and children are invited to come in and get items such as hygiene kits and clothing for their needs. On average, it takes seven different sorts of intervention before someone may be saved successfully. This is related to the fact that traffickers manipulate people’s minds in order to establish a “norm.” They implant a “norm” in the minds of their victims, convincing them that this is the way life should be, and then they convince them that they have no way out.
This drop-in facility was established to assist survivors and victims of human trafficking and sexual exploitation who are experiencing challenging circumstances such as those stated above.
O.U.R. has been privileged to assist with the renovation of this drop-in facility by providing financial aid and manpower. Donors like you have also contributed to the provision of hygiene kits, clothing, and Christmas gifts for survivors in the affected areas.
Hospital on Wheels: 4th Street Medical Clinic
Fourth Street Clinic is a medical facility located on Fourth Street in New York City. Image sourced from KSL.com When someone are unable to make it to the hospital on their own, the 4th Street Medical Clinic has a medical vehicle that they may use to transport them. As a Red-Light Outreach volunteer, Matt Pierce works with the drop-in facility stated above to give testing, open-wound care, drug detox options, and other social assistance to those who come in for Red-Light Outreach. They also go out on the streets many times a week to deliver these services to a large number of people who are in need of medical attention.
Why is this Important?
These are just a handful of the organizations with which O.U.R. has the honor of collaborating in the fight against human trafficking in the United States of America. How these groups give of their time and resources to aid people in need is very fantastic to witness! We are happy for the opportunity to collaborate with them. It is undeniable that human trafficking is a worldwide problem. If you ever see suspicious activity that might be indicative of human trafficking, it is critical that you report it to your local law enforcement and the National Human Trafficking Hotline (888-373-7888).
Thank you for everything you are doing to aid in the battle against human trafficking in our country and throughout the world!
What can YOU Do?
You may organize campaigns and fundraisers for your local community using our website YOURrescue.com. Our friends and volunteers have together raised more than $760,000 in their own areas. Begin yours right away at yourrescue.org. Make others aware of the situation. DISSEMBLE THIS ARTICLE.
Operation Underground Railroad
You may organize campaigns and fundraisers for your local community using our website YOURrescue.com. The generosity of our fans and volunteers has raised more than $760,000 in their local areas! Begin yours right away at yourrescue.org/getstarted/. Educate others about the situation. THIS ARTICLE SHOULD BE SHARERED
Operation Underground Railroad (OUR) – a Vanguard in the Fight Against Child Trafficking – End Slavery Now
You may organize campaigns and fundraisers for your local community using our website YOURrescue. Our fans and volunteers have together collected more than $760,000 in their own areas! Begin yours right away at yourrescue.org/getstarted. Make others aware of it. SHARE this story with your friends.
Mission: Liberate Enslaved Children and Dismantle the Criminal Networks
In a nutshell, the mission is straightforward: using cutting-edge computer technology and human intelligence, our undercover teams of former CIA and Special Operations personnel travel to some of the world’s most dangerous locations to assist in the liberation of enslaved children and the dismantling of criminal networks. OUR operators have dedicated their life to rescuing imprisoned children all across the world, always with the consent and request of local governments and authorities. We keep the relevant US Embassies aware of our efforts, and we have been lucky in that we have been able to rely on their assistance and involvement in a number of rescue operations.
©OUR The United States government is light years ahead of its international rivals in the battle against human trafficking, but budget and bureaucratic constraints limit its ability to do more.
This group of nations lacks the means and expertise necessary to remove these victims and transport them to a secure location.
It has been our pleasure to work with computer software businesses that have assisted us in tracking down and prosecuting child pornographers, child rapists, and human traffickers.
As part of its anti-trafficking efforts, OUR is now building its own web tool that will be cutting-edge in its field. We will make this technology available to host governments at no cost in order for them to be able to conduct their own anti-trafficking efforts in the future.
Fastest Growing Criminal Enterprise
In a nutshell, the mission is simple: using cutting-edge computer technology and human intelligence, our undercover teams of former CIA and Special Operations personnel travel to some of the world’s most dangerous locations to assist in the liberation of enslaved children and the dismantling of criminal networks. INTERNATIONAL CHILD RESCUE OPERATORS have committed their life to rescuing imprisoned children across the world, always with the approval and invitation of local authorities. We keep the relevant US Embassies aware of our efforts, and we have been lucky in that we have been able to rely on their assistance and involvement in a number of the rescue operations.
- ©OUR The United States government is light years ahead of its international rivals in the battle against human trafficking, but financial and bureaucratic constraints limit its ability to do more.
- These governments lack the means and expertise necessary to rescue and transport these individuals to a secure location.
- Several computer software businesses have collaborated with us to identify and prosecute child pornographers, child rapists, and child traffickers, among other criminals.
- As part of its anti-trafficking efforts, OUR is now building its own web tool, which will be at the forefront of technology.
Common Occurance
Our cover narrative has worked so well and has been so readily purchased by criminals, which is a terrible statement on our society today, is due to the fact that this sort of sex party and sex tourism occurs on a daily basis in practically every region of the world, which is a sad commentary on our society today. As our operations get greater attention and notoriety, we will be on the lookout for the need to alter our techniques in order to foil the bad guys and rescue even more children from danger.
- Every day, we are on the hunt for experienced operators who have operated in some of the most dangerous parts of the globe and who can join our team to assist us in expanding our activities into Africa, Asia, and the European Union.
- It is our hope and prayer that they will all be liberated one day, and it is our pledge and resolve to devote everything we have to rescuing them until that day comes.
- Please join us in our efforts to assist the O.U.R.
- Please stop by and see what you can do to assist.
Spread the word, get active, join the Abolitionist movement, and become a member of our Jump Team. Slavery did not come to an end with Lincoln, and we all have a part to play in ending it. Thank you very much for your help! Topics include: rescue, human trafficking, and child labor.
Tim Ballard’s Controversial Operation Underground Railroad Under Criminal Investigation In Utah
On the 8th of October, 2020, it will be published. A Utah prosecutor is looking into a controversial nonprofit organization known as Operation Underground Railroad, which claims to save human trafficking victims all over the world. The group, which goes by the name of Operation Underground Railroad, claims to save victims of human trafficking all over the world. A Davis County attorney named Troy Rawlings revealed to a local news site that the group was under investigation after a number of complaints were lodged against it, but he did not elaborate on the nature of the accusations lodged against it.
- This post claimed that the charges filed against Operation Underground Railroad indicate that the group may be engaging in unlawful fundraising activities by claiming credit for the work of certified law enforcement personnel, which is against to federal law.
- Before you part with your money, be sure you understand the terms and conditions.
- Rawlings allegedly wrote on Instagram, according to Salt Lake City’s Fox 13 Now, that the family had no involvement in the arrests and successful prosecutions.
- It gained widespread attention this summer after its founder, Tim Ballard, made public comments about human trafficking following the spread of a conspiracy theory about Wayfair.
- The charges were refuted by the firm, but the conspiracy theory spread like wildfire and even assisted in the mainstreaming of Qanon, another conspiracy theory that focuses on human trafficking.
With over fifty thousand views on the platform, the video assisted in propelling Operation Underground Railroad into the mainstream discourse just days before the nonprofit hosted a major fundraising event online, complete with celebrity appearances and the announcement that founder Ballard would be the subject of a new biographical film.
Some of the organization’s other initiatives include assistance on spotting trafficking victims, from the prevalence of specific tattoos to the manner in which a suspected victim could behave in public.
The organization, on the other hand, denies that any inquiry is now underway.
After speaking with the Davis County Attorney today, Adam Becker said he had learned there is no ongoing investigation into Operation Underground Railroad (also known as the “O.U.R.”) “I was informed that there is no ongoing investigation into Operation Underground Railroad (also known as the “O.U.R.” Opposition to a request for comment from Grit Daily has already been rebuffed by Operation Underground Railroad.
- According to the financial documents of the 501(c)(3) nonprofit, the organization was valued at thirty million dollars in 2019.
- Operation Underground Railroad claims to have assisted 3,319 victims between the years 2018 and 2019, although many other human trafficking rescue groups and resources have criticized the organization for providing an unclear explanation of what it did to assist them.
- The claims of providing aftercare should end here, according to Dr.
- “If an organization contracts out for aftercare, or if it is simply connecting survivors to shelters, the claims of providing aftercare should end here,” she says.
- Delivering quality in programming is a really difficult undertaking.
Pinkston, “it is immoral to draw donor monies from effective marketing when survivors and their intricate rehabilitative issues are portrayed with a broad brush, especially when treatments are not able to be administered with sustainable care.” Operation Underground Railroad, which advertises that it collaborates with local law enforcement to conduct “raids” on human trafficking operations—often in developing countries—has been criticized in particular for claiming to provide high-quality aftercare while failing to provide any evidence to support those claims.
- “According to my PhD study, there are a number of groups that use this sort of strategy, and there are some major criticisms of the search and rescue model used by anti-trafficking organizations,” Dr.
- Several interviewees for my research told me that groups following this approach were a significant obstacle to the overarching anti-trafficking effort, which Dr.
- One of the many benefits of volunteering with O.U.R.
- Volunteers are taught to act as johns and can engage in raids by posing as johns and acting covertly.
- Pinkston, is a lack of engagement with anti-trafficking coalitions, he adds.
- Pinkston explains.
- This is why Dr.
- This article was initially published on October 8th, 2020, and has since been updated.
Julia Sachs is a former Managing Editor of Grit Daily and currently works as a freelance writer. She covers topics such as technology, social media, and misinformation on the internet. She is located in Utah, and she enjoyed traveling before the epidemic struck. More information may be found here.
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Bagley
Despite the horrors of slavery, the decision to run was not an easy one. Sometimes escaping meant leaving behind family and embarking on an adventure into the unknown, where harsh weather and a shortage of food may be on the horizon. Then there was the continual fear of being apprehended. On both sides of the Mason-Dixon line, so-called slave catchers and their hounds were on the prowl, apprehending runaways — and occasionally free Black individuals likeSolomon Northup — and taking them back to the plantation where they would be flogged, tortured, branded, or murdered.
In total, close to 100,000 Black individuals were able to flee slavery in the decades leading up to the Civil War.
The majority, on the other hand, chose to go to the Northern free states or Canada.
1: Getting Help
Harriet Tubman, maybe around the 1860s. The Library of Congress is a federal government institution that collects and organizes information. No matter how brave or brilliant they were, few enslaved individuals were able to free themselves without the assistance of others. Even the smallest amount of assistance, such as hidden instructions on how to get away and who to trust, may make a significant difference. The most fortunate, on the other hand, were those who followed so-called “conductors,” like as Harriet Tubman, who, after escaping slavery in 1849, devoted her life to the Underground Railroad.
Tubman, like her other conductors, built a network of accomplices, including so-called “stationmasters,” who helped her hide her charges in barns and other safe havens along the road.
She was aware of which government officials were receptive to bribery.
Among other things, she would sing particular tunes or impersonate an owl to indicate when it was time to flee or when it was too hazardous to come out of hiding. She also mailed coded letters and dispatched couriers to deliver them.
2: Timing
Tubman developed a number of other methods during the course of her career to keep her pursuers at arm’s length. For starters, she preferred to operate during the winter months when the longer evenings allowed her to cover more land. Also, she wanted to go on Saturday because she knew that no announcements about runaways would appear in the papers until the following Monday (since there was no paper on Sunday.) Tubman carried a handgun, both for safety and to scare people under her care who were contemplating retreating back to civilization.
The railroad engineer would subsequently claim that “I never drove my train off the track” and that he “never lost a passenger.” Tubman frequently disguised herself in order to return to Maryland on a regular basis, appearing as a male, an old lady, or a middle-class free black, depending on the occasion.
- They may, for example, approach a plantation under the guise of a slave in order to apprehend a gang of escaped slaves.
- Some of the sartorial efforts were close to brilliance.
- They traveled openly by rail and boat, surviving numerous near calls along the way and eventually making it to the North.
- After dressing as a sailor and getting aboard the train, he tried to trick the conductor by flashing his sailor’s protection pass, which he had obtained from an accomplice.
- Enslaved women have hidden in attics and crawlspaces for as long as seven years in order to evade their master’s unwelcome sexual approaches.
4: Codes, Secret Pathways
Circa 1887, Harriet Tubman (far left) is shown with her family and neighbors at her home in Auburn, New York. Photograph courtesy of MPI/Getty Images The Underground Railroad was almost non-existent in the Deep South, where only a small number of slaves were able to flee. While there was less pro-slavery attitude in the Border States, individuals who assisted enslaved persons there still faced the continual fear of being ratted out by their neighbors and punished by the law enforcement authorities.
In the case of an approaching fugitive, for example, the stationmaster may get a letter referring to them as “bundles of wood” or “parcels.” The terms “French leave” and “patter roller” denoted a quick departure, whilst “slave hunter” denoted a slave hunter.
It was possible for fugitives to utilize a secret chamber or secret passage on occasion, which would later come to be associated with the Underground Railroad in the popular imagination.
5: Buying Freedom
The Underground Railroad, on the other hand, functioned openly and shamelessly for long of its duration, despite the passing of the 1850 Fugitive Slave Act, which prescribed heavy fines for anybody proven to have helped runaways. Stationmasters in the United States claimed to have sheltered thousands of escaped slaves, and their activities were well documented. A former enslaved man who became a stationmaster in Syracuse, New York, even referred to himself in writing as the “keeper of the Underground Railroad depot” in his hometown of Syracuse, New York.
At times, abolitionists would simply purchase the freedom of an enslaved individual, as they did in the case of Sojourner Truth.
Besides that, they worked to sway public opinion by funding talks by Truth and other former slaves to convey the miseries of bondage to public attention.
6. Fighting
In spite of the introduction of the 1850 Fugitive Slave Act, which prescribed heavy sanctions for anybody proven to have assisted runaways, the Underground Railroad functioned openly and shamelessly for most of its existence. Stationmasters in the United States claimed to have harbored thousands of fugitive slaves and made extensive public announcements about their activities. Even in writing, a former enslaved man who became a stationmaster in Syracuse, New York, referred to himself as the “keeper of the Underground Railroad depot” in his hometown.
In certain cases, abolitionists would simply purchase the freedom of an enslaved individual, like they did with Sojourner Truth, to achieve their objectives.
Besides that, they worked to shift public opinion by funding talks by Truth and other ex-slaves to bring the evils of bondage to public attention.