Underground Railroad

Today I had the opportunity to help Kadin's 5th grade class do a little Underground Railroad journey. They took turns in groups sneaking around the halls of the school and stopping at different stations to eat food and rest and hear stories after their long, exhausting travels. The Underground Railroad was the journey slaves took to get to Canada where they became free from slavery.

 Here's a little information I found about it. The Underground Railroad was neither underground nor a railroad. It got its name because its activities had to be carried out in secret, using darkness or disguise, and because railway terms were used by those involved with system to describe how it worked. Various routes were lines, stopping places were called stations, those who aided along the way were conductors and their charges were known as packages or freight. The network of routes extended through 14 Northern states and “the promised land” of Canada--beyond the reach of fugitive-slave hunters. Those who most actively assisted slaves to escape by way of the “railroad” were members of the free black community (including former slaves like Harriet Tubman), Northern abolitionists, philanthropists and church leaders like Quaker Thomas Garrett. Harriet Beecher Stowe, famous for her novel Uncle Tom's Cabin, gained firsthand knowledge of the plight of fugitive slaves through contacts with the Underground Railroad in Cincinnati, Ohio.

 Here are some sneaking around and hiding so they don't get caught. If they spoke then they were caught and they had to go back to class.

 Here they are being pushed in a cart for part of the way.

 There were 4 kids inside. This was always their favorite part.

 I got to be the last station where they arrived to Canada. I got to feed then and tell them a story then take them to their new homes where they were free. The kids really enjoyed this and I think it's a great idea. It was a good experience for me and I was only in that one part. Kadin came home and talked about it the rest of the day.