The Underground Railroad
The
actual Underground Railroad wasn't underground nor a railroad. It was
a number of routes taken to free slaves from their owners. Quite a lot
of people were willing to help slaves escape. Some would hang quilts in
front of their house, signaling that it was or was not okay to migrate
up further North. Also people would sing songs with hidden meanings. Slaves
understood the inner meaning of a song; for example, whether it was better
to keep together and stay united, or better to split up, as slave gatherers
were everywhere. It is quite remarkable how well they communicated with
each other.
There were free people who were called "conductors."
They led the way around to freedom for those who wanted it. Harriet Tubman
was the most famous one of the conductors. She freed more than 300 slaves
in the time of 10 years. Other conductors included Lewis Hayden and John
Rankin.