The Underground Railroad Until the Civil War ended in 1865, the majority of African Americans in the United States were slaves. Most lived on plantations and farms in the South, but slavery was not abolished in northern states until the early nineteenth century. Slaves were considered property, like farm animals or equipment, and were whipped or otherwise punished it they tried to escape. Despite the danger to themselves and their families if they were caught, many African-Americans did try to escape from slavery. While many were caught and returned, those who were fortunate found their way north to freedom, usually with the help of the Underground Railroad. This railroad was not a true railroad; it was a network of hideaways and safe houses created by abolitionists, Black and White people who hated slavery and sought to abolish it. These abolitionists provided escaping slaves with places to hide and rest, gave them food, and helped them get close to their eventual destination: Canada. Click here to see a map of the Underground Railroad. [map of national routes to be scanned] As this map shows, Ann Arbor lay along one of the main routes of the Underground Railroad. Ann Arbor had a large number of abolitionists, and Guy Beckley, a Methodist minister who lived in a large house on Pontiac Trail in Lower Town, published an abolitionist newspaper, The Signal of Liberty. This newspaper provides evidence of the beliefs of abolitionists as well as accounts of fugitives who passed through Ann Arbor. Click here to read two articles from The Signal of Liberty about the Underground Railroad in Ann Arbor and to learn why the Underground Railroad route through Michigan was so important. Click here to see two articles: from April 1843 and from May, 1843. To hear more about the Underground Railroad, Click here! Beckley may have done more than just publish an abolitionist newspaper. Historians suspect his house and his brother Joshua's house on Pontiac Trail were used as stops on the Underground Railroad. Click here to see the houses and to listen to historian, Franklin Ferguson describe the evidence he uses to uncover the hidden network and learn about the special features of the houses used in the Underground Railroad There are also several audio clips to hear: Underground Railroad #1 Underground Railroad #2 Underground Railroad #3 The Beckleys were not alone; they cooperated with other abolitionists in Southeastern Michigan to help slaves escape. Click here to read an account of another Underground Railroad station, and click here to listen to Franklin Ferguson explain how these stations remained secret. More African-American Topics

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