The Underground Railroad

Why does the author choose to call the individuals who worked on the Underground Railroad "conductors"?

• They were responsible for driving the trains that took slaves from slavery in the South to freedom in the North.

• Even though it was not an actual railroad, the "conductors" were individuals responsible for helping slaves travel from the South to the North.

• They conducted trains and boats that took fugitive slaves back to their masters in the South.

• They carried pistols on their hips that were known by people in the North as "conductors."

Which phrase from the text does the author use to support their argument that a wide variety of people worked for the Underground Railroad?

• "Railroad activists helped individual fugitive slaves find the light of freedom." (Paragraph 2)

• "Often whites would pretend to be the masters of fugitives to prevent their capture. Sometimes lighter-skinned African Americans took this role." (Paragraph 3)

• "Most of the time, however, slaves crept Northward on their own, looking for the signal that designated the next safe haven." (Paragraph 4)

• "Perhaps the most outstanding 'conductor' of the Underground Railroad was Harriet Tubman." (Paragraph 5)

How does paragraph 5 contribute to the ideas developed throughout the text?

• The paragraph provides an example of a famous train conductor who shipped pistols to the North to help them win the war.

• The paragraph is used to show that Harriet Tubman is the only true hero of the Underground Railroad.

• The paragraph is used to provide an example of a famous woman who worked on the Underground Railroad and the great impact she had on history.

• The paragraph is used to demonstrate that most of the slaves that escaped to the North were shipped to the North on boxes in trains.

Which phrase best describes the relationship between slave catchers and the "conductors" of the Underground Railroad?

• They worked together towards a common goal.

• They were united in trying to provoke a war.

• They were in disagreement about the value of property

• They represent the opposite sides of the conflict.

What is the central idea of the text?

Why do you think people were willing to risk their lives to work on the Underground Railroad? Do they deserve to be called heroes? Why or why not?