The Underground Railroad in Indiana and the fight against slavery

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A Run through the Underground Railroad

Slavery is one of the most important issues that helped shape American cultural identity, and, throughout time, there have been many famous people who helped slaves escape the terror in the South and reach Free states in the North of the United States of America or even in Canada.

Everything started at the end of the 18th century, when George Washington complained about how one of his slaves was assisted in escaping by a society of Quakers, which, according to what Washington said, was formed solely for this purpose: to help slaves escape the terror of their slaveholder. But this happened in 1786. More important things were still to come with the new century.

Throughout the United States of America there were many people who were against slavery and who wanted to do anything or everything they could in order to help slaves escape and with the purpose of helping them lead an easier life. When the 19th century started, both free African-Americans and anti-slavery white people united and formed a community which by 1831 was known as the Underground Railroad. The Underground Railroad was actually a system or an unofficial network of secret passage ways and safe houses. These routes and safe houses were used by slaves who wanted to escape and they were provided with help from abolitionists and their allies who wanted to see them freed, as they were sympathetic to their cause. The system got this name especially because railroads were used in the process of saving people. For instance, stations and depots were the places where slaves could eat and rest and these places were run by stationmasters, while the people who contributed with food or money were called stockholders. The person responsible with transporting fugitives from one station to the other was called a conductor. This Underground Railroad system was started by groups of Quakers, which at the beginning of the 19th settled their grounds in Indiana.

Escaping the Slaveholder

Although slaves were assisted in crossing the entire country to Free states, conductors could not help them when it came to escaping slaveholders. This was something the slaves had to do for themselves if they wanted to be free. Using all their resources and wits, some of them managed to escape and once they did it they were guided North. Folklore states that quilts were used to help slaves find the railroad. It seems that there were about 10 quilt patterns which helped slaves find their way toward escape routes. Stations or depots were placed at distances between 10 or 20 miles and slaves had to run during nighttime in order to reach them. Once they got to one of the stations, they could eat and rest and a message was sent to the following station, letting the others now that another group of slaves was coming their way.

Everyone had to be prepared and one of the most important things needed by both fugitives and the people helping them was money. Aside of the fact that slaves were running by night, they also had to travel by boat or by train and for this they needed money. The trip also needed to be paid, but the most important thing was the clothes the slaves were wearing. They could not possibly go around in their tattered clothes, so helpers bought them clothes in order for them not to seem suspicious. This money came from anyone who was willing to help these poor people. Furthermore, people helping slaves also organized groups called vigilance committees. They sprang up especially in the big cities of the North, where people received the slaves, helped them find a job and even wrote letters of recommendation for them.

The Importance of the Underground Railroad

Although the main purpose of the Underground Railroad system was to help fugitive slaves escape to Free states, it also served as a means of bringing together white people and black people. The Underground Railroad became very successful by the beginning of the 19th century, the point in which it was estimated that about 100,000 slaves had successfully managed to escape their slaveholders and reach Free states.

However, even though the numbers are quite considerable, there is something which is even more important and which has its roots in the organization of the Underground Railroads. During the time in which the system worked, the world was shown that black people could unite and that they could work together in order to become free men.

As with anything else, there were also downsides to the entire system. People who were known as being part of the system, as helping black people escape, were very often the targets of violence. In Indiana there were even a couple of people who were murdered by slave catchers due to the fact that they helped slaves escape. Still, these stories did not tear the organization apart; it did not frighten abolitionists. Rather, they made them even fiercer in their attempt to help slaves escape their masters.

There were many brave figures during the American slavery period and their names still bear great importance for present-day black people. Among the most famous people, there were Harriet Tubman and Levi Coffin. All these people got a chance to show the entire world that they did not care what color their skin was and that for them it was more important to be human than to belong to a particular race. This is the main reason for which there were so many slaves who could escape slavery through the Underground Railroad -- thanks to the goodwill and kindness of both black and white people who were brought together by one desire only: to abolish slavery.

In conclusion, the Underground Railroad had an impact not only on the number of slaves that could escape towards the free North, but it also had a great importance in abolishing slavery in the South.