The Underground Railroad

Summary
This is a lesson about the Underground Railroad and the people who supported it.

Objectives
• to identify some of the key people involved with the Underground Railroad;

• to describe the Underground Railroad and its function;

• to define some key terms: abolutionist, passenger, conductor.

Suggested Grades
2nd Grade
3rd Grade
4th Grade

Excerpt
The Underground Railroad was not an actual railroad. It was a network of houses and buildings that were used to help slaves escape from the South to freedom in the Northern states or Canada. The network of escape routes used railroad terms for descriptions. ?Passengers? were slaves that were fleeing the South. ?Conductors? were the guides that led these slaves from one stop to another. The stops were referred to as ?stations? or ?depots.? These stations were places where those escaping could rest. While resting at one station, a message would be sent to the next station to let that ?stationmaster? know that the individual or group was on its way.

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