Question

What was the 'Underground Railroad'?

A. An anti-slavery network that helped thousands of slaves escape the United States and settle in Canada.
B. A railroad through the Rockies that was mainly through mountain tunnels.
C. A network fur traders used to transport beaver pelts to the United States.
D. The first underground subway tunnel in Toronto

Answer 1

The Underground Railroad was a secret network that helped enslaved African Americans escape to freedom with the aid of abolitionists. It was not a literal railroad but used railroad terminology as code, leading many to free states and Canada, and figures like Harriet Tubman were key 'conductors'.

Step-by-step explanation:

Understanding the Underground Railroad

The Underground Railroad was an anti-slavery network that operated in the 19th century to help enslaved African Americans escape to freedom.

It was a complex system of secret routes and safe houses, with the assistance of abolitionists and sympathetic allies. This escape network was figurative, neither underground nor an actual railroad, but used railroad terminology as code.

Notable conductors like Harriet Tubman risked their lives to lead many to freedom, mostly towards Northern free states and Canada, where slavery was abolished.

Despite the dangers imposed by laws such as the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, thousands of enslaved people used the Underground Railroad to seek freedom.

At its peak, historians estimate that 50,000 to 100,000 enslaved individuals escaped using this network.