Underground Railroad for Kids: From Slavery to Freedom with 21 Activities
Acknowledgments Most of the modern day photographs in this book were made possible through the talents of photographer Tom Uhlman who deserves special thanks Thanks also to Robert Sexton for con tributing photographs Artist Megan Kelley has my deepest grati tude for creating and contributing a portrait of John P Parker Many thanks to Underground Railroad historian Henry Robert Burke for his inspiring research Thanks also to Dave Uhlman for his expertise on Native Americans And a very special thanks to Jerry Pohlen a patient attentive and supportive
Note to Readers MANY SLAVES WHO ESCAPED had little or no help In this book the term Underground Railroad is used to describe Othe complete range of ways and means that slaves fled bondage Harriet Tubman's life story is featured in chronological install ments at the beginning of each of this book's six chapters While Tubman is perhaps the most famous member of what came to be known as the Underground Railroad this amazing woman was only one of the hundreds of men and women who offered assistance safe harbor and guidance to runaways seeking free dom from slavery Look for the Hero of Freedom heading throughout the book to learn about others Readers should be warned that some of the images and several of the directly quoted terms phrases and descriptions included in this book can be considered racially offensive by today's stan dards These historical materials were left unchanged so that readers can experience for themselves the era they represent Likewise outdated unusual or phonetic spellings of quoted words have also been left unchanged The dates stated in many of the stories and quoted slave narratives are best approxima tions The glossary on page 156 explains terms included in this book There is a list of books to read videos and DVDs to watch and Web sites to explore starting on page 159 These will help you learn more about the Underground Railroad and discover places possibly in or near your own hometown to
Time Line Jamestown Virginia settled by English colonists 1607 Twenty captured Africans become indentured ser 1619 vants in Jamestown 1640 1710 Slavery becomes a legal institution in British North American colonies Africans and their children become lifelong slaves Declaration of Independence proclaims All men are created equal 1776 1777 1804 Vermont Pennsylvania Massachusetts New Hamp shire Connecticut Rhode Island New York and New Jersey ban or phase out slavery United States of America wins its independence but 1783 slavery remains legal Northwest Ordinance bans slavery in territories that will become Ohio Indiana 1787 Illinois Michigan and Wisconsin
New U S Constitution does not end slavery as some 1788 had hoped 1790 U S population of 3 9 million includes 700 000 enslaved persons First fugitive slave law established Slavery phased out in Canada 1793 Importation of slaves to the United States becomes 1808 illegal Benjamin Lundy begins publishing the Genius of 1821 Universal Emancipation First National Negro Convention 1830 William Lloyd Garrison begins publishing The Libera 1831 tor Nat Turner Rebellion in Virginia Slavery banned in the British Empire 1834 Frederick Douglass begins publishing the North Star 1847 Compromise of 1850 admits California as a free 1850 state and establishes a harsher fugitive slave law Kansas Nebraska Act leads to Bleeding Kansas 1854 John Brown leads a failed raid on Harpers Ferry 1859 Civil War begins after southern states secede from the 1861 Union Emancipation Proclamation frees slaves in rebel states 1863 Black soldiers allowed into the Union arm Union wins the Civil War 1865 Abraham Lincoln assassinated Thirteenth Amendment abolishes slavery
