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Understanding the Underground Railroad

Total questions: 9

Worksheet time: 7mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

What was the Underground Railroad?

a)

A real train that traveled underground

b)

A secret system to help enslaved people escape

c)

A famous road in the North

d)

A river in the South

2.

Who were the "conductors" on the Underground Railroad?

a)

People who drove trains

b)

People who helped guide enslaved people to freedom

c)

Musicians who sang songs

d)

People who owned big houses

3.

What were the "stations" on the Underground Railroad?

a)

Train stops with food and water

b)

Safe places where escaping people could rest

c)

Places where songs were sung

d)

Fields where people worked

4.

Why did enslaved people sing songs like "Follow the Drinking Gourd"?

a)

To have fun while working

b)

To send secret messages about escaping

c)

To learn new words

d)

To celebrate holidays

5.

What is the "Drinking Gourd" in the song "Follow the Drinking Gourd"?

a)

A special cup for drinking water

b)

A star group that shows the way north

c)

A big river in the South

d)

A famous conductor on the Underground Railroad

6.

Why weren't the songs written down at first?

a)

They were too hard to write

b)

It was dangerous to write them down

c)

People didn’t know how to write

d)

The songs were only sung for fun

7.

What does the song "Follow the Drinking Gourd" tell people to look for?

a)

A big house with lights

b)

The North Star in the sky

c)

A group of singers

d)

A boat on the river

8.

Where would a conductor meet the people escaping?

a)

At the start of the Underground Railroad

b)

Where the Tennessee River meets the Ohio River

c)

In the middle of a big city

d)

At a busy train station

9.

Why did enslaved people use songs to share information instead of talking openly about their escape plans?

4 lines