Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad

Harriet Tubman, also known as Moses, discusses the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850, which mandated the return of escaped slaves even if they were in the North. This law imposed severe penalties on those who helped slaves escape. Despite the harshness of the law, many people continued to assist slaves in their journey to freedom via the Underground Railroad. Tubman emphasizes the importance of resistance and hope, symbolized by the bluebirds of freedom, and promises to discuss more about the Underground Railroad in a future session.

Who is Harriet Tubman also known as?

• The Emancipator

• The Conductor

• Moses

• The Liberator

What year was the Fugitive Slave Law enacted?

• 1860

• 1840

• 1870

• 1850

What did the Fugitive Slave Law require of citizens?

• To provide shelter to escaped slaves

• To help slaves escape

• To ignore runaway slaves

• To return escaped slaves to their owners

What were the consequences for helping escaped slaves?

• Imprisonment

• Fines and punishments

• Community service

• No consequences

Who were allowed to assume any black person was a runaway?

• Police officers

• Slave hunters

• Southern plantation owners

• Northern citizens

What was the role of slave hunters?

• To assist in the Underground Railroad

• To capture escaped slaves

• To protect escaped slaves

• To educate about slavery

What did many people do despite the Fugitive Slave Law?

• Supported the law

• Reported runaway slaves

• Continued to help slaves escape

• Obeyed the law

What was the Underground Railroad?

• A literal railroad

• A network to help slaves escape

• A northern military strategy

• A southern trade route

What message did Harriet Tubman convey at the end?

• Hope and determination for freedom

• Acceptance of the law

• Indifference to the situation

• Despair and hopelessness

Who are the bluebirds of freedom?

• A group of abolitionists

• Symbolic allies in the fight for freedom

• A secret society

• A type of bird found in the south