You are on page 1of 5

Running head: Underground Railroad

Underground Railroad Project Alternate


Madison Watson
University of Kentucky
CIS 110

Underground Railroad

2
Underground Railroad Project Alternate

The Underground Railroad affected ethnic relations in Kentucky in various ways.


Kentucky was both a free and a slave statebut was considered a neutral state. Slaves often
escaped to freedom through Kentucky because it was the last line they had to cross before they
could be free. In addition, Cincinnati and many surrounding towns to its north and east contained
large Quaker and anti-slavery Presbyterian and Methodist communities. One scholar has
estimated that approximately 300 slaves per year escaped from Kentucky, based on claims for
stolen slave property.
The state had more than 700 miles of border with free states, spread over 24 countiesall
within a 75-mile radius of some of Kentuckys largest slave-holding centers, according to KET.
Although the majority of the slave population chose not to run away out of fear, the ones who
did risked their lives and the lives of their families (if they were all still together at this point) in
the hopes of becoming a free person in America. This hope inspired many blacks and whites to
come together to try and make this dream come trueand this is why the Underground Railroad
was created.
In the middle of the 1800s, Kentuckys population was nearly one millionabout
twenty-one percent of these inhabitants were African Americans. About one-third of every
household ownedon averageup to 5 slaves. Kentucky was a large center for trading slaves
off to the South. The South had large plantations that needed to be tended to throughout the year,
and this involved needing numerous slaves at all times. However, in Kentucky, most of the work
that needed to be done involved household dutiesand agricultural work when the season is
right.

Underground Railroad

The most essential part of the Underground Railroads success were the conductors.
These men and women would organize everything and risk their lives to harbor these innocent
people who deserved to be free. The majority of the so-called stations were in homes or
churches. The travelers would only stay to eat or drink, and move on to their next stop. They
followed the North Star on clear nights and slept wherever they could. The abolitionists who
aided the runaways often pretended to be their masters in order to avoid getting caught by slave
catchers. If a slave were to be caught by one of these people, they would be sold immediately
back into slavery or returned to their previous owner, where they would be publicly executed.
All the hopes of being a free person would dwindle away if one was caught. Even if the runaway
did make it to the North, they werent necessarily safe. The possibility of being sold back into
slavery was always presentas slave catchers would do this for their pay day. Whatever the
consequences, those who ran away were driven by hope that they could one day be a free man or
woman.
One of the most famous conductors of the Underground Railroad is Harriet Tubman.
Tubman was a runaway slave herself, but she still chose to put herself in danger every time she
returned to a slave state to help out others. According to the Library of Congress, if anyone had
second thoughts about returning to their old life, Tubman would pull a gun on them and say,
Youll be free or die a slave! because she knew that if they went back, they risked discovery,
capture or death. Tubman made 19 trips to Maryland and helped 300 people to freedom. During
these dangerous journeys she helped rescue members of her own family, including her 70-yearold parents. Not a single journey she went on was a failed attempt, and she was considered the
Moses of her people. Although she is probably the most well-known conductor, she is not

Underground Railroad

alone. There were more than three hundred conductors for the system, and many more remain
anonymous.
I think that the Underground Railroad said a lot about the relationships between African
Americans and whites. It showed that people from completely different cultures and walks of life
could come together to help each other outno matter the circumstances. So many people risked
their lives for this cause because they believed in the idea of freedom for all. They put everything
on the line for complete strangers and that shows that many people have altruistic valueswhich
is a big reason why the Underground Railroad was a success.

Underground Railroad

5
References

Gara, Larry The Myth of the Underground Railroad American History Illustrated, 12 (January
1978), pp. 34-41
Harrison, Lowell H. Antislavery Movement in Kentucky, Lexington, 1978. Memories of Slavery
Days in Kentucky Filson Club History Quarterly, 47 (July 1973), pp. 242-257 Not Quite
Free American History Illustrated, LX (June 1974), pp. 12-19
Richardson, H. Edward Cassius Marcellus Clay: Firebrand of Freedom Lexington, 1976.

You might also like