2. IT STARTED WITH ...
It all started with the desire to get away from
the Plantations.
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3. IT STARTED WITH ...
Slaves were treated unfairly by their
masters, and most of them lived harsh
lives. It was only natural that they would
want to get away from a way of life were
they could be sold away from their
families like livestock.
4. IT STARTED WITH ...
There was a way out of all of this though.
A slave could run away from his or her
plantation, to the North.... To Freedom.
5. ESCAPE ....
Trying to escape could be punished in a
multitude of ways, some of which
included the escapee dying. Still, slaves
risked their lives for their freedom.
6. ESCAPE ...
While in the fields, slaves would sing to
each other in coded messages. These
messages could contain anything from
the day that they were leaving, to how
they were going to escape. Their masters
suspected nothing.
7. ESCAPE ...
A few slaves tried to escape using their own
means, but many more decided to seek out
help. The help that they were looking for came
from the Underground Railroad.
8. UNDERGROUND RR ...
The Underground Railroad was not a railroad at all, nor was it
underground. It was made up of a network of people who were
spread out sometimes miles away from each other. These
people had “safe houses”, which were places that escaped slaves
could seek refuge during the day when they were not traveling,
and they would be protected from Slave Hunters.
9. FREE AT LAST!
After weeks and months of running
and hiding, many slaves now found
themselves in the North. For a while,
“North” consisted of the Free States,
but soon “North” would be considered
Canada and beyond.
10. FREE AT LAST!
Once a slave was free, he or she
could live their life much like any
other citizen. There was still a
separation between freed African
American slaves, and White citizens,
but that’s getting ahead of slavery.