Why these women just walked Harriet Tubman’s 116-mile journey from the Underground Railroad.
How many miles long was the Underground Railroad?
The routes from safe-house to safe-house (houses where fugitive slaves were kept) were called lines and were roughly 15 miles long, but the distance shortened considerably the further north one got.
How many miles did slaves travel on the Underground Railroad?
Sometimes a “conductor,” posing as a slave, would enter a plantation and then guide the runaways northward. The fugitives would move at night. They would generally travel between 10 and 20 miles to the next station, where they would rest and eat, hiding in barns and other out-of-the-way places.
How long would it take to walk the Underground Railroad?
The journey would take him 800 miles and six weeks, on a route winding through Maryland, Pennsylvania and New York, tracing the byways that fugitive slaves took to Canada and freedom.
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.
Can you hike the Underground Railroad?
Come to where the nation’s best-known “agent” of the Underground Railroad was born and raised. Miles of hiking and water trails within Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park and Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge allow visitors to explore the landscape Tubman traversed.
How many slaves did Harriet Tubman save?
Fact: According to Tubman’s own words, and extensive documentation on her rescue missions, we know that she rescued about 70 people —family and friends—during approximately 13 trips to Maryland.
How long did Harriet Tubman free the slaves?
Harriet Tubman is perhaps the most well-known of all the Underground Railroad’s “conductors.” During a ten-year span she made 19 trips into the South and escorted over 300 slaves to freedom.
What year is Underground Railroad set in?
The Underground Railroad takes place around 1850, the year of the Fugitive Slave Act’s passage. It makes explicit mention of the draconian legislation, which sought to ensnare runaways who’d settled in free states and inflict harsh punishments on those who assisted escapees.
What states was the Underground Railroad in?
These were called “stations,” “safe houses,” and “depots.” The people operating them were called “stationmasters.” 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.
Did Harriet Tubman travel on foot?
Tubman grew up enslaved in Maryland and, in 1849, at the age of 27, she set off on foot to free herself, travelling in the darkness of night and finally making her way to Philadelphia. But she didn’t stop there.
Were there tunnels in the Underground Railroad?
Contrary to popular belief, the Underground Railroad was not a series of underground tunnels. While some people did have secret rooms in their houses or carriages, the vast majority of the Underground Railroad involved people secretly helping people running away from slavery however they could.
How many slaves were saved by the Underground Railroad?
According to some estimates, between 1810 and 1850, the Underground Railroad helped to guide one hundred thousand enslaved people to freedom.
How many slaves died trying to escape?
At least 2 million Africans –10 to 15 percent–died during the infamous “Middle Passage” across the Atlantic. Another 15 to 30 percent died during the march to or confinement along the coast. Altogether, for every 100 slaves who reached the New World, another 40 had died in Africa or during the Middle Passage.
The Underground Railroad (1820-1861) •
The smuggling of fugitives during the winter season Charles T. Webber’s novel The Underground Railroad was published in 1893. Images that are in the public domain Underground Railroad was developed to assist oppressed persons in their journey from slavery to liberty. The railroad network was made up of dozens of hidden routes and safe houses that began in slaveholding states and extended all the way to the Canadian border, which was the only place where fugitives could be certain of their freedom.
As part of the Underground Railroad, slaves were smuggled onto ships that transported them to ports in the northern United States or to countries outside of the United States.
Though the number of persons who fled through the Underground Railroad between 1820 and 1861 varies greatly depending on who you ask, the most commonly accepted figure is roughly 100,000.
The railroad employed conductors, among them William Still of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, who was likely the most well-known of the group.
- Slave-hiding spots were called stations, and stationmasters were individuals who hid slaves in their houses.
- The Underground Railroad functioned as a number of interconnected networks.
- Those responsible for leading the fugitive slaves north did so in stages.
- The “freight” would be transferred on to the next conductor once it reached another stop, and so on until the full journey had been completed.
- When the Underground Railroad was successful, it engendered a great deal of hostility among slaveholders and their friends.
- The law was misused to a tremendous extent.
- Due to the fact that African Americans were not permitted to testify or have a jury present during a trial, they were frequently unable to defend themselves.
- However, the Fugitive Slave Act had the opposite effect, increasing Northern opposition to slavery and hastening the Civil War.
- A large number of those who escaped became human witnesses to the slave system, with many of them traveling on the lecture circuit to explain to Northerners what life was like as a slave in the slave system.
- It was the success of the Underground Railroad in both situations that contributed to the abolition of slavery.
- A simple payment would go a long way toward ensuring that this service is available to everyone.
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Cite this article in APA format:
Waggoner, C., and Waggoner, C. (2007, December 03). The Underground Railroad is a term used to describe a system of transportation that allows people to flee their homes (1820-1861). BlackPast.org.
Source of the author’s information:
“The Underground Railroad,” by William Still (Chicago, Johnson Publishing Company, 1970) Passages to Freedom: The Underground Railroad in History and Memory (Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Books in association with the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, 2004); J. Blaine Hudson, Encyclopedia of the Underground Railroad (Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Company, 2006); David W. Blight, Passages to Freedom: The Underground Railroad in History and Memory (Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Books in association with the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center,
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| The Underground Railroad, a vast network of people who helped fugitive slaves escape to the North and to Canada, was not run by any single organization or person. Rather, it consisted of many individuals – many whites but predominently black – who knew only of the local efforts to aid fugitives and not of the overall operation. Still, it effectively moved hundreds of slaves northward each year – according to one estimate,the South lost 100,000 slaves between 1810 and 1850. An organized system to assist runaway slaves seems to have begun towards the end of the 18th century. In 1786 George Washington complained about how one of his runaway slaves was helped by a “society of Quakers, formed for such purposes.” The system grew, and around 1831 it was dubbed “The Underground Railroad,” after the then emerging steam railroads. The system even used terms used in railroading: the homes and businesses where fugitives would rest and eat were called “stations” and “depots” and were run by “stationmasters,” those who contributed money or goods were “stockholders,” and the “conductor” was responsible for moving fugitives from one station to the next.For the slave, running away to the North was anything but easy. The first step was to escape from the slaveholder. For many slaves, this meant relying on his or her own resources. Sometimes a “conductor,” posing as a slave, would enter a plantation and then guide the runaways northward. The fugitives would move at night. They would generally travel between 10 and 20 miles to the next station, where they would rest and eat, hiding in barns and other out-of-the-way places. While they waited, a message would be sent to the next station to alert its stationmaster.The fugitives would also travel by train and boat – conveyances that sometimes had to be paid for. Money was also needed to improve the appearance of the runaways – a black man, woman, or child in tattered clothes would invariably attract suspicious eyes. This money was donated by individuals and also raised by various groups, including vigilance committees.Vigilance committees sprang up in the larger towns and cities of the North, most prominently in New York, Philadelphia, and Boston. In addition to soliciting money, the organizations provided food, lodging and money, and helped the fugitives settle into a community by helping them find jobs and providing letters of recommendation.The Underground Railroad had many notable participants, including John Fairfield in Ohio, the son of a slaveholding family, who made many daring rescues, Levi Coffin, a Quaker who assisted more than 3,000 slaves, and Harriet Tubman, who made 19 trips into the South and escorted over 300 slaves to freedom. |
The Underground Railroad
BACK TO THE HISTORY OF AFRICANOS IN WESTERN NEW YORK STATE
| 1770-1830 | 1831-1865 | 1866-1899 | 1900-1935 | 1935-1970 | 1971-2000 |
| INTRODUCTION | The Fugitive Save Acts | Underground Railroad Maps |
BACK TO THE HISTORY OF AFRICANOS IN WESTERN NEW YORK STATES
| Margaret was worked hard up until the day her baby (by her husband) was born. A week later she was put back to work. It was customary that babies be cared for by broken down slaves; but Margaret was forced to leave the baby Samuel in the shade of a bush by the field, returning to it only twice the entire day she worked.On returning to Samuel one day she found him senseless, exhausted with crying, and a large snake covering him. She then decided to run away with her baby or see it dead. She ran and the tail was magnificient. At one time she, with her baby on her shoulders and in a river, kills the favorite salave hunting dog of her master, an old mastiff.She escapes to her freedom and her finds a home in New York where her son was given education. Her son receives more education and becomes a great man, Frederick Douglas once called “the ablest man the country has ever produced” – Samuel Ward (right), author ofAutobiography of a Fugitive Negro: His Anti-Slavery Labours in the United States, Canada,England. |
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The Underground Railroad Route
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- , Since 4/96, visits to the African American History of Western New York pages have been in the thousands. PLEASE GET IN TOUCH WITH US.
Explain to pupils that enslaved individuals did not have access to maps, compasses, or GPS systems throughout their time in slavery. The majority of enslaved individuals were never permitted to get an education, and as a result, they were unable to read or write. Consider the following question: How do you suppose enslaved people knew they were heading in the correct direction? Students should be informed that enslaved individuals resorted to guides on the Underground Railroad, as well as memory, visuals, and spoken communication to survive.
- Talk about the difficulties you’ve encountered on your path.
- Instruct pupils to examine the map and make note of any physical characteristics of the region that made the voyage challenging.
- In order to demonstrate proper shading techniques, students should go to Alabama, then northeast via Maine and into Canada to see how the Applachian Mountains are shaded.
- Ask:Can you think of anything else that made the travel difficult?
- In the winter, being cold and outdoors
- Not having enough food
- Being exhausted yet unable to relax
- Having to swim or traverse bodies of water
- Having to travel great distances
- Evading or avoiding people or animals
3. Ask pupils to identify the route they would have chosen if they were in their shoes. Students should be divided into small groups. Ask each group to look at the map and choose the route they would have gone to freedom if they had been able to do so.
Students should choose their selections based on the states, rivers, and mountain ranges that they would have to cover on their journey. Ask each group to describe the path they would have followed and why they would have done so.
Informal Assessment
Have pupils determine which option they would have followed if they had been in their position. Make small groups of pupils out of the class. Ask each group to look at the map and choose the path they would have followed if they had been able to flee to safety. Choose the states, rivers, and mountain ranges that they will have to cover based on the distance they are willing to travel. Each group should outline the path they would have followed and why they would have done so.
Learning Objectives
Students will be able to:
- The student will be able to identify slave states and free states during the time period when the Underground Railroad was active
- Describe the difficulties encountered throughout the voyage
- Indicate the path they would have followed, and explain their reasons.
Teaching Approach
- Common Core Standard 1: How to interpret and share information via the use of maps and other geographic representations, geospatial technology, and spatial thinking
- Standard 17: How to use geography to understand and interpret the past.
What You’ll Need
- Highlighters, paper, pencils, and pens, as well as a wall map of the United States
Required Technology
- Internet access is optional
- Technological setup includes one computer per classroom and a projector.
Physical Space
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Writer
Naomi Friedman holds a Master’s degree in political science.
Editor
Christina Riska Simmons is a model and actress.
Educator Reviewer
Jessica Wallace-Weaver is a certified educational consultant.
Sources
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What Was the Underground Railroad?
Historiography in the field of social studies
Have You Ever Wondered.
- What was the Underground Railroad, and how did it work? Who was Harriet Tubman, and what was her story? How many enslaved persons were rescued from slavery by use of the Underground Railroad
Was the Underground Railroad what it claimed to be; Who was Harriet Tubman, and what was her significance? How many enslaved persons were rescued by the Underground Railroad and brought to freedom;
Wonder What’s Next?
The Wonder of the Day for tomorrow will be one that you will remember for a long time!
Try It Out
Are you prepared to delve further into the history of the Underground Railroad? Check out the following activities with a friend or family member to make the most of your time:
- Take a look at this map of routes used by the Underground Railroad. You may read more about Harriet Tubman’s contributions to the emancipation of people from slavery by clicking on the pins. According to you, which roads on this map would be the most challenging to navigate? What locations on the map would be particularly difficult to navigate, and why? What strategies did Tubman and those she assisted use to overcome some of these difficulties
- The story of Harriet Tubman, one of the most famous heroines of the Underground Railroad, has already been told to you. A large number of other courageous individuals were also participating. Learn more about John Parker and Rev. John and Jean Rankin by reading their biographies. What similarities and differences did their stories have with those of Harriet Tubman? Explain what you’ve learnt to a friend or a member of your family Do you want to take on a challenge? Consider how a new Underground Railroad may operate in the 21st century, using today’s cutting-edge technologies. When individuals interact and move from one area to another, what methods do they use? If you feel the Underground Railroad still exists today, you should write or create a tale or graphic that describes how you believe current technology may be utilized to help those who are enslaved.
Wonder Sources
We’d like to thank Stephanie, Angel, and Ellisha from Kansas, as well as Kerrie and Sharon from Iowa, for your contributions to today’s Wonder subject! Continue to WONDER with us! What exactly are you puzzling over?
Underground Railroad
Underground Railroad was a network of people, both black and white, who helped escaped enslaved persons from the southern United States by providing them with refuge and assistance. It came forth as a result of the convergence of numerous separate covert initiatives. Although the exact dates of its inception are unknown, it was active from the late 18th century until the Civil War, after which its attempts to weaken the Confederacy were carried out in a less-secretive manner until the Civil War ended.
Quaker Abolitionists
Underground Railroad was a network of people, both black and white, who helped escaped enslaved persons from the South by providing them with refuge and assistance. A number of separate covert operations came together to form the organization.
Although the exact dates of its creation are unknown, it was active from the late 18th century until the Civil War, after which its attempts to weaken the Confederacy were carried out in a less-secretive manner until the Union was defeated.
What Was the Underground Railroad?
The Underground Railroad was first mentioned in 1831, when an enslaved man named Tice Davids managed to escape from Kentucky into Ohio and his master blamed a “underground railroad” for assisting Davids in his liberation. When a fugitive slave called Jim was apprehended in 1839 in Washington, the press said that the guy confessed his plan to travel north along a “underground railroad to Boston” while under torture. The Vigilance Committees, which were established in New York in 1835 and Philadelphia in 1838 to safeguard escaped enslaved persons from bounty hunters, rapidly expanded their duties to include guiding enslaved individuals on the run.
MORE INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND AT: Harriet Tubman and her fellow fugitives used the following strategies to escape through the Underground Railroad:
How the Underground Railroad Worked
The majority of enslaved persons aided by the Underground Railroad were able to flee to neighboring states like as Kentucky, Virginia, and Maryland. The Fugitive Slave Act of 1793 made catching fugitive enslaved persons a lucrative industry in the deep South, and there were fewer hiding places for them as a result of the Act. The majority of fugitive enslaved people were on their own until they reached specific places farther north. The escaping enslaved people were escorted by individuals known as “conductors.” Private residences, churches, and schools were also used as hiding places throughout the war.
The personnel in charge of running them were referred to as “stationmasters.” There were several well-traveled roads that ran west through Ohio and into Indiana and Iowa.
The Little-Known Underground Railroad That Ran South to Mexico.
Fugitive Slave Acts
The Fugitive Slave Acts were a major cause for many fugitive slaves to flee to Canada. This legislation, which was passed in 1793, authorized local governments to catch and extradite fugitive enslaved individuals from inside the borders of free states back to their places of origin, as well as to penalize anybody who assisted the fleeing enslaved people. Personal Liberty Laws were introduced in certain northern states to fight this, but they were overturned by the Supreme Court in 1842. The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 was intended to reinforce the preceding legislation, which was perceived by southern states to be insufficiently enforced at the time of passage.
The northern states were still considered a danger zone for fugitives who had managed to flee.
Some Underground Railroad operators chose to station themselves in Canada and sought to assist fugitives who were arriving to settle in the country.
Harriet Tubman
In many cases, Fugitive Slave Acts were the driving force behind their departure. This legislation, which was passed in 1793, authorized local governments to catch and extradite fugitive enslaved persons from inside the borders of free states back to their places of origin, as well as to penalize anybody who assisted the runaway slaves. Personal Liberty Laws were introduced in several northern states to oppose this, but they were overturned by the Supreme Court in 1842. Aiming to improve on the previous legislation, which southern states believed was being enforced insufficiently, the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 was passed.
It was still considered a risk for an escaped individual to travel to the northern states.
In Canada, some Underground Railroad operators established bases of operations and sought to assist fugitives in settling into their new home country.
Frederick Douglass
In his house in Rochester, New York, former enslaved person and celebrated author Frederick Douglasshid fugitives who were assisting 400 escapees in their journey to freedom in Canada. Reverend Jermain Loguen, a former fugitive who lived in the adjacent city of Syracuse, assisted 1,500 escapees on their journey north. The Vigilance Committee was established in Philadelphia in 1838 by Robert Purvis, an escaped enslaved person who later became a trader. Josiah Henson, a former enslaved person and railroad operator, founded the Dawn Institute in Ontario in 1842 to assist fugitive slaves who made their way to Canada in learning the necessary skills to find work.
Agent,” according to the document.
John Parker was a free Black man living in Ohio who worked as a foundry owner and who used his rowboat to ferry fugitives over the Ohio River.
William Still was a notable Philadelphia citizen who was born in New Jersey to runaway slaves parents who fled to Philadelphia as children.
Who Ran the Underground Railroad?
The vast majority of Underground Railroad operators were regular individuals, including farmers and business owners, as well as preachers and religious leaders. Some affluent individuals were active, including Gerrit Smith, a billionaire who stood for president on two separate occasions. Smith acquired a full family of enslaved people from Kentucky in 1841 and freed them from their captivity. Levi Coffin, a Quaker from North Carolina, is credited with being one of the first recorded individuals to assist escaped enslaved persons.
Coffin stated that he had discovered their hiding spots and had sought them out in order to assist them in moving forward.
Finally, they were able to make their way closer to him. Coffin eventually relocated to Indiana and then Ohio, where he continued to assist fugitive enslaved individuals no matter where he was.
John Brown
Ordinary individuals, farmers and business owners, as well as pastors, were the majority of those who operated the Underground Railroad. Several millionaires, including Gerrit Smith, a billionaire who campaigned for president twice, were involved. For the first time in his life, Smith purchased and freed a whole family of enslaved people from Kentucky in 1841. Levi Coffin, a Quaker from North Carolina, was one of the earliest recorded individuals to assist fleeing enslaved persons. Beginning in 1813, when he was 15 years old, he began his career.
They eventually began to make their way closer to him and eventually reached him.
End of the Line
Operation of the Underground Railroad came to an end in 1863, during the American Civil War. In actuality, its work was shifted aboveground as part of the Union’s overall campaign against the Confederate States of America. Once again, Harriet Tubman made a crucial contribution by organizing intelligence operations and serving as a commanding officer in Union Army efforts to rescue the liberated enslaved people who had been freed. MORE INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND AT: Harriet Tubman led a daring Civil War raid after the Underground Railroad was shut down.
Sources
Bound for Canaan: The Epic Story of the Underground Railroad is a book about the Underground Railroad. Fergus Bordewich is a Scottish actor. A Biography of Harriet Tubman: The Road to Freedom Catherine Clinton is the first lady of the United States. Who Exactly Was in Charge of the Underground Railroad? ‘Henry Louis Gates’ is a pseudonym for Henry Louis Gates. The Underground Railroad’s History in New York is a little known fact. The Smithsonian Institution’s magazine. The Underground Railroad’s Dangerous Allure is well documented.
Underground Railroad
When describing a network of meeting spots, hidden routes, passages, and safehouses used by slaves in the United States to escape slave-holding states and seek refuge in northern states and Canada, the Underground Railroad was referred to as the Underground Railroad (UR). The underground railroad, which was established in the early 1800s and sponsored by persons active in the Abolitionist Movement, assisted thousands of slaves in their attempts to escape bondage. Between 1810 and 1850, it is estimated that 100,000 slaves escaped from bondage in the southern United States.
Facts, information and articles about the Underground Railroad
Aproximate year of birth: 1780
Ended
The beginnings of the American Civil War occurred around the year 1862.
Slaves Freed
Estimates range between 6,000 and 10,000.
Prominent Figures
Harriet Tubman is a historical figure. William Still is a well-known author and poet. Levi Coffin is a fictional character created by author Levi Coffin. John Fairfield is a well-known author.
Related Reading:
Harriet Tubman is a historical figure who lived during the American Civil War. She was a pioneer in the fight against slavery. William Still is an American author and poet. Levi Coffin is a fictional character created by the author Levi Coffin in the fictional world of the novel Levi Coffin John Fairfield is a well-known author and illustrator.
The Beginnings Of the Underground Railroad
Harriet Tubman was a pioneer in the United States. William Still is a well-known author. Levi Coffin is a fictional character created by writer Levi Coffin. John Fairfield is a well-known author and poet.
The Underground Railroad Gets Its Name
Harriet Tubman was a pioneer in the United States of America. Theodore “William” Still Levi Coffin is a fictional character created by the author Levi Coffin. John Fairfield is an American author and poet.
Conductors On The Railroad
A “conductor,” who pretended to be a slave, would sometimes accompany fugitives to a plantation in order to lead them on their journey. Harriet Tubman, a former slave who traveled to slave states 19 times and liberated more than 300 people, is one of the most well-known “conductors.” She used her shotgun to threaten death to any captives who lost heart and sought to return to slavery. The Underground Railroad’s operators faced their own set of risks as well. If someone living in the North was convicted of assisting fugitives in their escape, he or she could face fines of hundreds or even thousands of dollars, which was a significant sum at the time; however, in areas where abolitionism was strong, the “secret” railroad was openly operated, and no one was arrested.
His position as the most significant commander of the Underground Railroad in and around Albany grew as time went on.
However, in previous times of American history, the phrase “vigilance committee” generally refers to citizen organizations that took the law into their own hands, prosecuting and hanging those suspected of crimes when there was no local government or when they considered the local authority was corrupt or weak.
White males who were found assisting slaves in their escape were subjected to heavier punishments than white women, but both were likely to face at the very least incarceration.
The most severe punishments, such as hundreds of lashing with a whip, burning, or hanging, were reserved for any blacks who were discovered in the process of assisting fugitive fugitives on the loose.
The Civil War On The Horizon
Events such as the Missouri Compromise and the Dred Scott decision compelled more anti-slavery activists to take an active part in the effort to liberate slaves in the United States. After Abraham Lincoln was elected president, Southern states began to secede in December 1860, putting an end to the Union’s hopes of achieving independence from the United States. Abolitionist newspapers and even some loud abolitionists warned against giving the remaining Southern states an excuse to separate. Lucia Bagbe (later known as Sara Lucy Bagby Johnson) is considered to be the final slave who was returned to bondage as a result of the Fugitive Slave Law.
Her owner hunted her down and arrested her in December 1860.
Even the Cleveland Leader, a Republican weekly that was traditionally anti-slavery and pro-the Fugitive Slave Legislation, warned its readers that allowing the law to run its course “may be oil thrown upon the seas of our nation’s difficulties,” according to the newspaper.
In her honor, a Grand Jubilee was celebrated on May 6, 1863, in the city of Cleveland.
The Reverse Underground Railroad
A “reverse Underground Railroad” arose in the northern states surrounding the Ohio River during the Civil War. The black men and women of those states, whether or not they had previously been slaves, were occasionally kidnapped and concealed in homes, barns, and other structures until they could be transported to the South and sold as slaves.
Five Rail-Trails Along the Underground Railroad
These rail-trails throughout the route are giving linkages to some of the most iconic and historic locations associated with the Underground Railroad. The Underground Railroad Bicycle Route (UGRR), which stretches more than 2,007 miles between Alabama and Canada, commemorates the network that assisted slaves in their escape to freedom before and during the American Civil War.
A Historic Route
The first section of the route, which was developed in collaboration with the Center for Minority Health (now the Center for Health Equity) at the University of Pittsburgh and multiple advisory teams comprised of historians, preservationists, and researchers, was inspired by a song that slaves sang to communicate from plantation to plantation, titled “Follow the Drinking Gourd,” which refers to following the North Star and waterways to the Ohio River.
On an annual youth trip of the Underground Railroad Bicycle Route, Adventure Cycling volunteer and Ohio resident Chuck Harmon is joined by a student rider from Bronx Lab School.
This stretch of the trail, which includes several of the rail-trails described in this article and was built with the assistance of Chuck Harmon, a committed volunteer and citizen of Ohio.
Ginny Sullivan, director of travel projects at Adventure Cycling, described the region as “very rich in historical significance.” “Only a small number of freedom searchers made it from the south to the north.
This includes two such individuals in Ripley, Ohio, which is located immediately across the border from Kentucky: John Rankin, a Presbyterian minister who would light a candle (some say a pole with a lamp) to signal to freedom seekers that it was safe to cross the Ohio River, and who was later the inspiration for Harriet Beecher Stowe’s novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin; and John Parker, a foundryman and former slave who made the perilous crossing into Kentucky to assist in the emancipation of hundreds of people.
Because fugitive slaves might be returned by slave owners under the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, genuine freedom meant abandoning the United States entirely—and the Underground Railroad had safe homes dotting the terrain all the way into Canada as part of its network of safe houses.
Various rail-trails link and illustrate the cultural legacy of an area where heroic conductors risked their lives to guide thousands of people to freedom. These rail-trails may be found all along this route. Below is a list of five individuals who also contribute to Adventure Cycling’s UGRR.
Rail-Trails Along the UGRR
“> Little Miami Scenic Trail in Ohio | Photo courtesy of Jamie Holly| CC bySA-2.0 “> Little Miami Scenic Trail in Ohio Part of the U.S. Great Rivers Railroad (UGRR) is comprised of fifty miles of the 78.1-mile Little Miami Magnificent Trail, which runs from Milford north to Xenia, Ohio and provides a scenic ride through rural river vistas and small communities. Jamie Holly| CC bySA-2.0 The path connects to a number of networks, including a 340-mile off-road system that runs through the Miami Valley and the Ohio to Erie Trail, which is now being constructed and will stretch from Cincinnati to Cleveland for 272-miles.
Over 4,000 persons are believed to have fled here in the course of their journey to freedom, and the Springboro Part Historical Society has identified 27 Underground Railroad stations (in and around the city), which is believed to be the most in any other area of the state.
2 Western Reserve Greenway (Ohio)
Little Miami Scenic Trail in Ohio | Photo courtesy of Jamie Holly| CC bySA-2.0 “> A portion of the 78.1-mile Little Miami Magnificent Trail, which runs from Milford north to Xenia, Ohio, makes up part of the UGRR, providing a scenic tour through rural river vistas and small communities. Jamie Holly| CC bySA-2.0 Many links are made possible by being a member of two networks: the Miami Valley Trail System, which covers 340 miles, and the Ohio to Erie Trail, which is being built from Cincinnati to Cleveland and will reach 272-miles.
Over 4,000 persons are believed to have fled here in the course of their journey to freedom, and the Springboro Area Historical Society has identified 27 Underground Railroad stations (in and around the city), which is believed to be the most in any other region of the state.
3 Prairie Grass Trail/Ohio to Erie Trail (Ohio)
Jamie Holly| CC bySA-2.0 “> Little Miami Scenic Trail in Ohio | Photo courtesy of Jamie Holly| CC bySA-2.0 “> A portion of the 78.1-mile Little Miami Magnificent Trail, which runs from Milford north to Xenia, Ohio, makes up part of the UGRR, providing a scenic tour through rural river vistas and small communities. Jamie Holly| CC bySA-2.0 The route connects to a number of networks, including a 340-mile off-road system that runs through the Miami Valley and the growing 272-mile Ohio to Erie Trail that runs from Cincinnati to Cleveland.
A total of 4,000 persons are believed to have escaped to freedom in this region, and the Springboro Area Historical Society has identified 27 Underground Railroad depots (in and around the city), which is believed to be the most in any other area of Ohio.
Trail users can now stay at one of these posts, which used to be Wright’s house and is now known as the Wright House Bed and Breakfast.
4 Niagara River Recreation Trail (Canada)
Jamie Holly| CC bySA-2.0 “> Little Miami Scenic Trail in Ohio | Photo courtesy of Jamie Holly Jamie Holly| CC bySA-2.0Fifty miles of the 78.1-mile Little Miami Magnificent Trail make up part of the UGRR, which runs from Milford, Ohio, north to Xenia, Ohio, and provides a scenic tour through rural river vistas and small communities. The route connects to a number of networks, including a 340-mile off-road system that runs through the Miami Valley and the growing 272-mile Ohio to Erie Trail, which runs from Cincinnati to Cleveland.
It is estimated that 4,000 individuals escaped to freedom from this location, and the Springboro Part Historical Society has identified 27 Underground Railroad depots (in and around the city), which is believed to be more than any other area of the state.
5 Georgian Trail (Canada)
“> Little Miami Scenic Trail in Ohio | Photo courtesy of Jamie Holly| CC bySA-2.0 “> Little Miami Scenic Trail in Ohio Part of the U.S. Great Rivers Railroad (UGRR) is comprised of fifty miles of the 78.1-mile Little Miami Magnificent Trail, which runs from Milford north to Xenia, Ohio and provides a scenic ride through rural river vistas and small communities. Jamie Holly| CC bySA-2.0 The path connects to a number of networks, including a 340-mile off-road system that runs through the Miami Valley and the Ohio to Erie Trail, which is now being constructed and will stretch from Cincinnati to Cleveland for 272-miles.
Over 4,000 persons are believed to have fled here in the course of their journey to freedom, and the Springboro Part Historical Society has identified 27 Underground Railroad stations (in and around the city), which is believed to be the most in any other area of the state.