Final answer:
Conductors on the Underground Railroad assisted escaping slaves by guiding them to freedom using secret routes; they were a key part of resistance and the rising abolitionist movement.
Step-by-step explanation:
The individuals who assisted escaping slaves were known as conductors on the Underground Railroad, a network of secret routes and safe houses established in the United States during the early to mid-19th century. They used a variety of tactics to guide slaves to freedom, including navigating by stars, carrying out careful planning with allies, and relying on sheer bravery.
Enslaved people looked for ways to resist their captivity and gain freedom, some by self-emancipation through escape, while others were freed by their owners. Over time, even as slavery persisted, more calls for abolition and emancipation arose from both black and white communities, making the work of conductors and other activists crucial to the fight against the institution of slavery.