Slaves
What did the slaves have to do?
They worked on plantations in the field.
What tool did they use to navigate?
Quilts Codes
What were some jobs the slaves had before traveling railroad?
Growing and maintaining crops, cooking for everyone including other slaves and their masters, cleaning and many other jobs. Some worse than others .
What were quilt codes?
They were quilts with different colors and patterns that guided slaves where to go to reach freedom
Was the Underground Railroad legal ?
No, it was against the law MOST states
How many slaves were there during the Underground Railroad?
approximately 100,000 slaves
What skilled trades did they have before traveling the railroad?
Many were brilliant carpenters (maintaining buildings and wagons), blacksmiths (repaired machinery and made iron parts), shoe makers, and weavers (made baskets)
What role did trees play ?
Trees were used by conductors who would leave certain colored ribbons or materials tied to trees
Who helped along the Railroad?
Former slaves, Free Born African Americans, Native American Indians and anti-slave people (a.k.a. abolitionist)
How did the slaves become free?
Due to the Emancipation Proclamation written by President Abraham Lincoln
This document made it so all slaves were legally free in all states.
What material did slaves use to make clothing?
They used to cotton that they hand picked from the cotton fields.
What were a few things slaves did before traveling the railroad?
They were drivers and transporters of goods, gardeners and took care of the animals.
How did people use their voice as secret codes?
Songs like "Wade in the Water" and "Follow the Drinking Gourd" contained hidden messages about the railroad direction.
What were the homes called that the escapees stayed in?
Safe Houses
What is a conductor?
People who risked their own safety to guide and escort slaves along secret routes.
Why did the slaves have jobs and still want to leave?
They were forced into these jobs, treated badly and forced to work for free.