The Underground Railroad

The Underground Railroad

7th Grade Social Studies

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.3

Identify key steps in a text's description of a process related to history/social studies (e.g., how a bill becomes law, how interest rates are raised or lowered).

Objective

Students will be able to explain what the Underground Railroad was and describe what the journey was like for escaped slaves

What was the Underground Railroad?

a vast network of people who helped fugitive slaves escape to the North and to Canada

Routes of the Underground Railroad

Why Canada?

• Even in the North, former slaves could be recaptured and sent back to the South

• In Canada, former slaves were safe from slave catchers

The Underground Railroad

• Not run by any single individual or organization

• Operated by both white and black individuals

Harriet Tubman leading escaped slaves to freedom

Harriet Tubman

Abolitionist, Underground Railroad guide

Referred to as "Moses" for her role guiding escaped slaves to freedom

Multiple Choice

What was the Underground Railroad?

• The first subway system in America

• A trade network through which people smuggled illegal goods

• A network that helped escaped slaves travel North to freedom

• A secret network of Union spies sent to monitor the South

Multiple Choice

Which of the following statements about the Underground Railroad is TRUE?

• The Underground Railroad was the longest railroad in the US

• The Underground Railroad was the fastest railroad in the US

• The Underground Railroad ran from Philadelphia to Mexico City

• The Underground Railroad was not an actual railroad.

Multiple Choice

Why did escaped slaves travel to Canada?

• The climate was preferable.

• Canada was a free country beyond the range of slave catchers

• Canadians were more accepting of former slaves than US Northerners

• Canada provided easy access to trade routes back to Africa, where many former slaves wished to go

Multiple Choice

Who was Harriet Tubman?

• A conductor for the Underground Railroad

• A Confederate spy

• A former slave who became a member of Congress

• The first former slave to successfully escape to Mexico