The Underground Railroad Story

What is the purpose of Foner’s introduction “Rethinking the Underground Railroad”?
Brief background on Foner reveals he is a Pulitzer Prize-winning historian. The reason for the book is to relay the intense story of fugitive slaves along with the antislavery activists who went against the law to assist in helping the slaves find freedom. The introduction then helps explain this by talking about Frederick Bailey. Frederick Bailey and four of his friends, created and implemented a plan to abscond via canoe to make their way up north. Although they were caught, arrested, and then sent back to their owners, he began to plot his escape again. The initial failure led to the beginnings of what was the fight for freedom for slaves as Bailey became Frederick Douglass and led the cause for abolition in the United States.
Who are the Quakers and what was their involvement in the Underground Railroad?
Quakers at one-point owned slaves. They understood the conflict and managed to get past it to try to educate freed slaves and help them in other ways. Regarding the Underground Railroad mythology, many believe any Quaker-owned house was a stop on the Underground Railroad. Although this was not the case, Quakers were associated with ‘Free States’ where escaped slaves could seek refuge. Quakers were slaves’ allies and put obstacles in the path of slave owners to help slaves escape.
What is the significance of the New York Vigilance Committee?
It first began its first official meetings on November 20, 1835. David Ruggles was one of its early leaders. The purpose of the organization was to safeguard blacks being threatened by slavecatchers that worked in New York City. Runaway slaves traveled to New York City in large numbers and were prime targets for catchers who then resold them to slave owners in the south. The organization worked to protect runaway slaves and educate them on avoiding slavecatchers.
Explain and describe the changes in the Underground Railroad from the 1840’s to the 1850’s.
The 1840’s was when the Underground Railroad was established and recognized. This was also when a cottage industry of bounty hunters implemented to chase and capture escaped slaves also sprang up. It was a difficult time for runaway slaves and the early inklings of abolitionism took route. In the 1850’s, moreover, in 1850, the United States government passed the Fugitive Slave Act. The act enabled the Underground Railroad to become the focal point of abolitionism. It was because runaway slaves could be captured and sent back without trial, creating a need to end slavery altogether. From then on, there was much exaggeration during this time of the Underground Railroad from both sides, prompting tales of people like John Henry Hill, who escaped slavery and had to fight fist and knife to gain his freedom. These among other stories make up a good part of the 1850’s Underground Railroad.
Identify the following: Lewis Tappan, Henry “Box” Brown, The Fugitive Slave Law of 1850, Sydney Gay
As was mentioned prior, the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850 made it so runaway slaves could be recaptured with no trial and sent back to be sold. It was part of the Compromise of 1850 among Northern Free-Soilers and Southern slave-holding interests. Sydney Howard Gay was an American attorney, abolitionist, and journalist, active in New York City in the mid-19th century. For 14 years he edited the National Anti-Slavery Standard. Lewis Tappan was a white New Yorker turned abolitionist who worked to accomplish liberty for illegally enslaves Amistad Africans.