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. He kept careful records, including short biographies of the people, that contained frequent railway metaphors.
How many slaves did the Underground Railroad safe?
According to some estimates, between 1810 and 1850, the Underground Railroad helped to guide one hundred thousand enslaved people to freedom.
How many slaves did William still free per month?
Often called “The Father of the Underground Railroad,” Still helped as many as 60 slaves a month escape to freedom. He interviewed each person and keeping careful records, including a brief biography and the destination of each person, along with any alias that they adopted, though he kept his records carefully hidden.
How many slaves did Tubman help free?
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. And, as she once proudly pointed out to Frederick Douglass, in all of her journeys she “never lost a single passenger.”
How many slaves did still help?
Often called “The Father of the Underground Railroad”, William Still helped as many as 800 slaves escape to freedom.
What made slavery illegal in all of the United States?
Passed by Congress on January 31, 1865, and ratified on December 6, 1865, the 13th amendment abolished slavery in the United States and provides that “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or
How many slaves escaped during the years of the Underground Railroad?
The total number of runaways who used the Underground Railroad to escape to freedom is not known, but some estimates exceed 100,000 freed slaves during the antebellum period.
How many people were still enslaved at the time of the Civil War?
Of the 4.4 million African Americans in the US before the war, almost four million of these people were held as slaves; meaning that for all African Americans living in the US in 1860, there was an 89 percent* chance that they lived in slavery.
Was William still a real person?
William Still, a free-born Black, became an abolitionist movement leader and writer during the antebellum period in American history. He was also one of the most successful Black businessmen in the history of the City of Philadelphia.
How many slaves did Jefferson own?
Despite working tirelessly to establish a new nation founded upon principles of freedom and egalitarianism, Jefferson owned over 600 enslaved people during his lifetime, the most of any U.S. president.
Is Gertie Davis died?
Despite the efforts of the slaveholders, Tubman and the fugitives she assisted were never captured. Years later, she told an audience: “I was conductor of the Underground Railroad for eight years, and I can say what most conductors can’t say – I never ran my train off the track and I never lost a passenger.”
Underground Railroad
The rewritten biography of Harriet Tubman, titled Harriet, the Moses of Her People, is released in October 1886. Tubman’s spouse passes away on October 18, 1888, after contracting TB. Tubman becomes more interested in the fight for women’s suffrage in the 1890s. Tubman seeks for a pension as a Civil War widow in June 1890. Tubman is authorized for a war widow pension of $8 per month on October 16, 1895. Tubman delivers a speech at the National Association of Colored Women’s inaugural meeting in July 1896.
Anthony at a suffrage conference in Rochester, New York, in November 1896.
Tubman is also invited to visit England to celebrate the queen’s birthday, but Tubman’s financial difficulties make this an impossible.
Charles L.
50.39 Tubman has brain surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital in the late 1890s in an attempt to cure her excruciating migraines.
The Civil War heroine Harriet Tubman (far left), about 1900Photo courtesy of MPI/Getty Images The Harriet Tubman Home for the Aged was dedicated on June 23, 1908, and Tubman was present.
On May 19, 1911, an unwell Harriet Tubman is admitted to the Harriet Tubman Home.
Quaker Abolitionists
The Society of Friends (Quakers) is often regarded as the first organized group to actively assist escaped enslaved persons. In 1786, George Washington expressed dissatisfaction with Quakers for attempting to “liberate” one of his enslaved servants. Abolitionist and Quaker Isaac T. Hopper established a network in Philadelphia in the early 1800s to assist enslaved persons who were on the run from slavery. Abolitionist organisations founded by Quakers in North Carolina lay the basis for escape routes and safe havens for fugitive slaves during the same time period.
What Was the Underground Railroad?
According to historical records, the Quakers were the first organized organization to actively assist fugitive slaves. When Quakers attempted to “liberate” one of Washington’s enslaved employees in 1786, George Washington took exception to it. Abolitionist and Quaker Isaac T. Hopper established a network in Philadelphia in the early 1800s to assist enslaved persons who were fleeing their masters’ hands.
Abolitionist societies founded by Quakers in North Carolina lay the basis for escape routes and safe havens for fugitives at the same time. It was another aggressive religious institution that assisted escaping enslaved persons, the African Methodist Episcopal Church, which was founded in 1816.
How the Underground Railroad Worked
The Quakers are often regarded as the first organized group to actively assist enslaved persons who had escaped. In 1786, George Washington expressed his displeasure with Quakers for attempting to “liberate” one of his enslaved servants. In the early 1800s, Quaker abolitionist Isaac T. Hopper established a network in Philadelphia to assist enslaved persons who were fleeing their oppressors. Meanwhile, Quakers in North Carolina formed abolitionist organizations that provided the basis for escape routes and safe havens for fugitives.
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
Harriet Tubman was the most well-known conductor of the Underground Railroad during its heyday. When she and two of her brothers fled from a farm in Maryland in 1849, she was given the name Harriet (her married name was Tubman). She was born Araminta Ross, and she was raised as Harriet Tubman. They returned a couple of weeks later, but Tubman fled on her own again shortly after, this time making her way to the state of Pennsylvania. In following years, Tubman returned to the plantation on a number of occasions to rescue family members and other individuals.
Tubman was distraught until she had a vision of God, which led her to join the Underground Railroad and begin escorting other fugitive slaves to the Maryland state capital.
Tubman transported groups of fugitives to Canada on a regular basis, believing that the United States would not treat them favorably.
Frederick Douglass
She was the most well-known conductor of the Underground Railroad, and her name is Harriet Tubman. In 1849, she and two of her brothers managed to escape from a farm in Maryland, where they were born into slavery under the name Araminta Ross. Harriet Tubman was her married name at the time. While they did return a few of weeks later, Tubman set out on her own shortly after, making her way to the state of Pennsylvania. In following years, Tubman returned to the plantation on a number of occasions to rescue family members and other people.
Tubman was distraught until she had a vision of God, which led her to join the Underground Railroad and begin escorting other runaway slaves to the Maryland state capital of Fredericksburg.
Who Ran the Underground Railroad?
Harriet Tubman was the most well-known conductor of the Underground Railroad during her lifetime. When she and two of her brothers fled from a farm in Maryland in 1849, she was given the name Harriet Tubman (her married name was Araminta Ross). They returned a couple of weeks later, but Tubman fled on her own shortly after, making her way to Pennsylvania. In the following years, Tubman returned to the plantation on a number of occasions to rescue family members and others. She attempted to rescue her spouse on her third trip, but he had remarried and refused to go.
Tubman transported large numbers of fugitives to Canada on a regular basis, believing that the United States would not treat them favorably.
John Brown
Abolitionist John Brown worked as a conductor on the Underground Railroad, and it was at this time that he founded the League of Gileadites, which was dedicated to assisting fleeing enslaved individuals in their journey to Canada. Abolitionist John Brown would go on to play a variety of roles during his life. His most well-known duty was conducting an assault on Harper’s Ferry in order to raise an armed army that would march into the deep south and free enslaved people at gunpoint. Ultimately, Brown’s forces were beaten, and he was executed for treason in 1859.
- The year 1844, he formed a partnership with Vermont schoolteacher Delia Webster, and the two were jailed for assisting an escaped enslaved lady and her young daughter.
- Charles Torrey was sentenced to six years in jail in Maryland for assisting an enslaved family in their attempt to flee through Virginia.
- After being apprehended in 1844 while transporting a boatload of freed slaves from the Caribbean to the United States, Massachusetts sea captain Jonathan Walker was sentenced to prison for life.
- John Fairfield of Virginia turned down the opportunity to assist in the rescue of enslaved individuals who had been left behind by their families as they made their way north.
Fairfield’s strategy was to go around the southern United States appearing as a slave broker. He managed to elude capture twice. He died in 1860 in Tennessee, during the American Reconstruction Era.
End of the Line
Abolitionist He was a conductor on the Underground Railroad, and it was during this time that he founded the League of Gileadites, an organization dedicated to aiding fleeing slaves in their journey to Canada. With the abolitionist movement, Brown would play a variety of roles, most notably leading an assault on Harper’s Ferry to raise an armed army that would march into the deep south and free enslaved people under threat of death. Eventually, Brown’s forces were defeated, and he was executed for treason in 1859.
- The year 1844, he formed a partnership with Vermont schoolteacher Delia Webster, and the two of them were jailed for aiding an escaped enslaved woman and her child escape.
- When Charles Torrey assisted an enslaved family fleeing through Virginia, he was sentenced to six years in jail in Maryland.
- was his base of operations; earlier, he had served as an abolitionist newspaper editor in Albany, New York.
- In addition to being fined and imprisoned for a year, Walker had the letters “SS” for Slave Stealer tattooed on his right hand.
- As a slave trader, Fairfield’s strategy was to travel across the southern states.
- Tennessee’s arebellion claimed his life in 1860, and he was buried there.
Sources
Abolitionist John Brown worked as a conductor on the Underground Railroad, and it was during this time that he founded the League of Gileadites, which was dedicated to assisting runaway enslaved persons in their escape to Canada. With the abolitionist movement, Brown would play a variety of roles, most notably leading an assault on Harper’s Ferry to raise an armed army that would march into the deep south and free enslaved people at gunpoint. Brown’s soldiers were beaten, and Brown was executed for treason in 1859.
- In 1844, he formed a partnership with Vermont schoolteacher Delia Webster, and the two were jailed for assisting an escaped enslaved woman and her child in their escape.
- Charles Torrey was sentenced to six years in jail in Maryland for assisting an enslaved family in their escape across Virginia.
- Massachusetts sea captain Jonathan Walker was jailed in 1844 when he was apprehended with a boatload of freed slaves who were on their way to the United States from the Caribbean.
- John Fairfield of Virginia turned down the opportunity to rescue the enslaved individuals who had been left behind by their relatives as they made their way north.
Fairfield’s strategy was to travel around the southern United States while appearing as a slave broker. He managed to break out of jail twice. In 1860, he was killed in Tennessee during the American Reconstruction Era.
The Underground Railroad
At the time of slavery, the Underground Railroad was a network of routes, locations, and individuals that assisted enslaved persons in the American South in their attempts to flee to freedom in the northern states. Subjects History of the United States, Social StudiesImage
Home of Levi Coffin
A network of routes, locations, and individuals existed during the time of slavery in the United States to assist enslaved persons in the American South in their attempts to go north. Subjects Social Studies, History of the United States of America
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A network of routes, locations, and individuals existed during the time of slavery to assist enslaved persons in the American South in their attempts to flee to the North. Subjects Social Studies, History of the United StatesImage
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The Underground Railroad
| 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. |
Underground Railroad
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Facts, information and articles about the Underground Railroad
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Ended
The beginnings of the American Civil War occurred around the year 1862.
Slaves Freed
The commencement of the American Civil War occurred around 1862.
Prominent Figures
The beginnings of the Civil War occurred around the year 1862.
Related Reading:
The Story of How Canada Became the Final Station on the Underground Railroad Harriet Tubman’s Legacy as a Freedom Fighter and a Spion is well documented.
The Beginnings Of the Underground Railroad
Even before the nineteenth century, it appears that a mechanism to assist runaways existed. In 1786, George Washington expressed dissatisfaction with the assistance provided to one of his escaped slaves by “a organization of Quakers, founded for such purposes.” The Religious Society of Friends, or Quakers as they are more officially known, were among the first abolitionist organizations to emerge. Their influence may have played a role in Pennsylvania becoming the first state to abolish slavery, which was home to a large number of Quakers.
In recognition of his contributions, Levi is often referred to as the “president of the Underground Railroad.” In Fountain City, Ohio, on Ohio’s western border, the eight-room Indiana home they bought and used as a “station” before they came to Cincinnati has been preserved and is now a National Historic Landmark.
“Eliza” was one of the slaves who hid within it, and her narrative served as the inspiration for the character of the same name in Harriet Beecher Stowe’s abolitionist classic Uncle Tom’s Cabin.
The Underground Railroad Gets Its Name
Owen Brown, the father of radical abolitionist John Brown, was a member of the Underground Railroad in the state of New York during the Civil War. An unconfirmed narrative suggests that “Mammy Sally” designated the house where Abraham Lincoln’s future wife, Mary Todd Lincoln, grew up and served as a safe house where fugitives could receive food, but the account is doubtful. Routes of the Underground Railroad It was not until the early 1830s that the phrase “Underground Railroad” was first used.
Fugitives going by water or on genuine trains were occasionally provided with clothing so that they wouldn’t give themselves away by wearing their worn-out job attire.
Many of them continued on to Canada, where they could not be lawfully reclaimed by their rightful owners.
The slave or slaves were forced to flee from their masters, which was frequently done at night.
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
A “conductor,” who pretended to be a slave, would sometimes accompany fugitives to a plantation in order to direct 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 the lives of those who lost hope and sought to return to slavery. The Underground Railroad’s operators faced their own set of perils while they worked. In the North, if someone 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 operated in full view of the general public.
His position as the most prominent commander of the Underground Railroad in and around Albany grew as time went along.
However, in other eras of American history, the term “vigilance committee” was frequently used to refer to citizen groups that took the law into their own hands, prosecuting and lynching people accused of crimes when no local authority existed or when they believed that authority was corrupt or insufficient.
Stricter punishments were meted out to white males who assisted slaves in escaping than to white women, but both were likely to face at the very least incarceration.
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.
International Underground Railroad Month – Underground Railroad (U.S. National Park Service)
This year, the New Philadelphia Association will be commemorating the 202nd anniversary of the day Free Frank McWorter purchased his own freedom on September 13, 1819, with great pride. Free Frank Freedom Day will take place on September 13, 2021, on the 13th of September. At 2 p.m., the festivities will kick off at the historic New Philadelphia town site on County Highway 2, which is located northeast of Barry, Illinois. The presentation will begin with a welcoming message from Phil Bradshaw, president of the National Parks Association, followed by statements from relatives of the McWorter family, community leaders, and historians.
- Later in the day, the program will go to the adjacent town of Barry, where Brigadier General Donald L.
- at the Historic Barry Baptist Church, located at 900 Main Street in the town of Barry.
- Seating is limited, so arrive early to avoid disappointment.
- Free Frank made history in 1836 when he became the first African-American to plan and legally register a town in the United States.
- New Philadelphia grew up as a multicultural and multiracial neighborhood.
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, recognized as a National Historic Landmark, and included in the Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Program run by the National Park Service, New Philadelphia is a must-see for history buffs.
Underground Railroad
202 years ago, on September 13, 1819, Free Frank McWorter purchased his own freedom, and the New Philadelphia Association will be there to commemorate the occasion. Monday, September 13, 2021, will be observed as Free Frank Freedom Day. Starting at 2 PM, the activities will take place at the historic New Philadelphia town site, located northeast of Barry on County Highway 2 (northeast of Barry, Illinois). The ceremony will begin with a welcoming message from Phil Bradshaw, president of the National Parks Association, followed by speeches from descendants of the McWorter family, community leaders, and historians, among other things.
- Later in the day, the program will go to the adjacent town of Barry, where Brigadier General Donald L.
- at the Historic Barry Baptist Church, located at 900 Main Street in the heart of downtown.
- Come early since seating is limited.
- When Free Frank platted and officially registered his town in 1836, he made history as the first African-American to do so in the United States.
- This ethnically diversified community sprang up in New Philadelphia.
- It is also included on the National Register of Historic Places.
William Still’s National Significance · William Still: An African-American Abolitionist
On September 13, 1819, the New Philadelphia Association will joyfully commemorate the 202nd anniversary of the day Free Frank McWorter purchased his own freedom. Monday, September 13, 2021, will be designated as Free Frank Freedom Day. At 2 p.m., the activities will kick off at the historic New Philadelphia town site, which is located northeast of Barry on County Highway 2. The program will include a welcoming message from Phil Bradshaw, president of the National Parks Association, as well as speeches from descendants of the McWorter family, community leaders, and historians.
- The program will next travel to the adjacent town of Barry, where Brigadier General Donald L.
- Donald Scott is the author of the novel Recipient of Grace, which was released in 2015.
- On September 13, 1819, Free Frank McWorter purchased his own freedom from slavery, two years after purchasing the freedom of his wife Lucy – all with cash gained through his own initiative.
- Frank was able to purchase freedom for as many as 15 members of his family with the money from property sales in New Philadelphia.
New Philadelphia grew up as an ethnically diversified neighborhood. New Philadelphia is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, has been recognized as a National Historic Landmark, and is a part of the Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Program run by the National Park Service.
- The New Philadelphia Association will be joyfully commemorating the 202nd anniversary of the day Free Frank McWorter purchased his own freedom on September 13, 1819. Free Frank Freedom Day will take place on Monday, September 13, 2021. The festivities will begin at 2 p.m. at the historic New Philadelphia town site, which is located northeast of Barry, Illinois, on County Highway 2. The presentation will begin with a welcoming message from Phil Bradshaw, president of the National Parks Association, followed by speeches from relatives of McWorter, community leaders, and historians. Please feel free to arrive early to tour the site along the walking trail, which will be led by augmented reality technology, and to visit Lucy’s Garden. The program will next travel to the adjacent town of Barry, where Brigadier General Donald L. Scott (retired) will address the audience at the Historic Barry Baptist Church, located at 900 Main Street, at 4 p.m. Donald Scott is the author of the novel Recipient of Grace, which was released in 2015. Seating is limited, so arrive early. On September 13, 1819, Free Frank McWorter purchased his own freedom from slavery, just two years after purchasing the freedom of his wife Lucy – all with cash gained through his own initiative. In 1836, Free Frank made history by being the first African-American to plan and legally register a town in the United States. Frank was able to purchase freedom for as many as 15 family members with the funds from property sales in New Philadelphia. New Philadelphia grew up as an ethnically diversified neighborhood. New Philadelphia is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, has been recognized as a National Historic Landmark, and is a part of the National Park Service’s Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Program.
Harriet Tubman used weather to help increase success rate of her Underground Railroad trips
This year, the New Philadelphia Association will be commemorating the 202nd anniversary of the day Free Frank McWorter purchased his own freedom on September 13, 1819, with great pride. Free Frank Freedom Day will take place on September 13, 2021, on the 13th of September. At 2 p.m., the festivities will kick off at the historic New Philadelphia town site on County Highway 2, which is located northeast of Barry, Illinois. The presentation will begin with a welcoming message from Phil Bradshaw, president of the National Parks Association, followed by statements from relatives of the McWorter family, community leaders, and historians.
- Later in the day, the program will go to the adjacent town of Barry, where Brigadier General Donald L.
- at the Historic Barry Baptist Church, located at 900 Main Street in the town of Barry.
- Seating is limited, so arrive early to avoid disappointment.
- Free Frank made history in 1836 when he became the first African-American to plan and legally register a town in the United States.
- New Philadelphia grew up as a multicultural and multiracial neighborhood.
Underground Railroad
See how abolitionists in the United States, like as Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass, and Thomas Garrett, assisted enslaved people in their attempts to escape to freedom. Learn about the abolitionist movement in the United States, as well as the importance of the Underground Railroad in this historical period. Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. is a publishing company that publishes encyclopedias. View all of the videos related to this topic. When escaped slaves from the South were secretly assisted by sympathetic Northerners, in defiance of the Fugitive Slave Acts, to reach safe havens in the North or Canada, this was referred to as the Underground Railroad in the United States.
Even though it was neither underground nor a railroad, it was given this name because its actions had to be carried out in secret, either via the use of darkness or disguise, and because railroad words were employed in relation to the system’s operation.
In all directions, the network of channels stretched over 14 northern states and into “the promised land” of Canada, where fugitive-slave hunters were unable to track them down or capture them.
Harriet Beecher Stowe, best known for her novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin, obtained firsthand experience of escaped slaves via her association with the Underground Railroad in Cincinnati, Ohio, where she lived for a time during the Civil War.
The existence of the Underground Railroad, despite the fact that it was only a small minority of Northerners who took part in it, did much to arouse Northern sympathy for the plight of slaves during the antebellum period, while also convincing many Southerners that the North as a whole would never peacefully allow the institution of slavery to remain unchallenged.
When was the first time a sitting president of the United States appeared on television? Return to the past for the really American responses. Amy Tikkanen has made the most current revisions and updates to this page.
Underground Railroad Sites: South Bend
Situated in the extreme northern region of Indiana along the Michigan border in the 1840s and 1850s, South Bend was frequently used as a last destination for runaway slaves in the Hoosier State during this period. Slave escape Thomas Bulla and Solomon Palmer were assisted by local abolitionists on their journey northward to freedom through South Bend. In 1849, a group of local residents blocked a Kentucky slave owner from recapturing his fugitive slaves in South Bend, resulting in a lengthy court struggle that is still remembered today.
Image courtesy of the Indiana Historical Atlas with Illustrations (Baskin, Forster and Company, 1876; Reprinted, Indiana Historical Society, 1968)
The Bartlett House
Though it was never utilized as a “station” on the Underground Railroad, the Bartlett residence in South Bend played an important role in the operation of the network. The owners pooled monies to buy clothing and food for the enslaved African-Americans, as well as to give bribes when necessary, in order to assure their safe travel. The Bartletts also operated a barber shop in downtown Fort Wayne, where an African-American barber worked and, according to legend, was responsible for keeping information on the Underground Railroad flowing.
The Thomas Bulla Farmhouse
The Bulla Farmhouse, located north of South Bend on the campus of Notre Dame, served as an Underground Railroad stop during the American Civil War. There are a number of family narratives that describe events that occurred about 1856. In addition to Bulla’s labor, his father and grandpa were found guilty in 1825 in Richmond, Indiana, of “loss of property” in a case involving the escape of a fugitive from Kentucky called Peter. Bulla’s father and grandfather were sentenced to prison in 1825.
The Secret History of the Underground Railroad
It was located on the grounds of Notre Dame, north of South Bend, and served as an Underground Railroad stop. In the years surrounding 1856, there are a number of family narratives that describe what happened. On top of his accomplishments, Bulla was born into a family of criminals. His father and grandparents were convicted guilty of “loss of property” in 1825 in Richmond, Indiana in connection with the escape of a fugitive from Kentucky named Peter.