US History

Civil War and Reconstruction (1850-1877)

African Americans

Law and Government

This collection uses primary sources to explore the relationship between the Underground Railroad and the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850.

A map of the nineteenth-century Underground Railroad created in 2005. 

An excerpt from *Scenes in the Life of Harriet Tubman* by Sarah H. Bradford, 1869.

This biography of Harriet Tubman includes letters from famous abolitionists about Tubman’s work. 

An 1872 drawing of Maria Weems, an African American woman who escaped slavery in 1855 wearing male attire. 

A 1922 drawing of Ellen Craft, who escaped slavery in 1848 while disguised as her master.

An excerpt from *Running a Thousand Miles for Freedom or the Escape of William and Ellen Craft from Slavery* by William Craft, 1860. 

This work is a narrative of the escape of William and Ellen Craft. 

A broadside announcing the Fugitive Slave Bill of 1850.

An excerpt from *The Fugitive Slave Law and its Victims*, an 1861 antislavery book listing cases of individuals targeted by the Fugitive Slave Law.

“Leap of the Fugitive Slave,” an 1880 drawing of a woman leaping to her death rather than be returned to her master.

A drawing called “Operations of the Fugitive-Slave Law.”

In this image, an escaped slave is caught and forced to return to his master while his child pleads for mercy.


An 1850 political cartoon, “Effects of the Fugitive Slave Law,” showing four escaped slaves being recaptured by armed white men.

A poster calling for a meeting in Camillus, New York in 1852 to protest the Fugitive Slave Law.

A picture and narrative of Lear Green escaping slavery in a chest via the Underground Railroad, 1850s.

An excerpt from *The Underground Railroad from Slavery to Freedom* by William M. Mitchell, 1860.

This work by the free African American William Mitchell presents a history of the Underground Railroad and the hardships endured by fugitive slaves.

An excerpt from *A Woman's Life Work: Including Thirty Years' Service On the Underground Railroad and in The War* by Laura S. Haviland, 1888. 

This work presents the narrative of abolitionist Laura S. Haviland and her participation in the Underground Railroad.


Portraits of the Philadelphia Vigilance Committee, 1859.

These are portraits of Philadelphia abolitionists who participated in the Philadelphia Vigilance Committee, a group organized in the 1850s and worked to undermine the Fugitive Slave Act and help escaped slaves.

Questions

1. Consider [*The Fugitive Slave Law and its Victims*](http://dp.la/primary-source-sets/the-underground-railroad-and-the-fugitive-slave-act-of-1850/sources/1048), the [political cartoon](http://dp.la/primary-source-sets/the-underground-railroad-and-the-fugitive-slave-act-of-1850/sources/1051), the drawing called [“Operations of the Fugitive-Slave Law,”](http://dp.la/primary-source-sets/the-underground-railroad-and-the-fugitive-slave-act-of-1850/sources/1050) and the [drawing of a woman leaping](http://dp.la/primary-source-sets/the-underground-railroad-and-the-fugitive-slave-act-of-1850/sources/1049). What do these show about the experiences of fugitive slaves? What were the different ways fugitive slaves fought against being sold back into slavery? 
2. Harriet Tubman is known for the integral role she played in the Underground Railroad, but there are details about her work that many are unaware of. Based on the [biography](http://dp.la/primary-source-sets/the-underground-railroad-and-the-fugitive-slave-act-of-1850/sources/1043), explain Harriet Tubman’s role in educating free African Americans. What do we learn about her character based on Frederick Douglass’s letter? What are some details from the text that support the assertion that Tubman was “one of the best and bravest persons on this continent?”
3. After reading the [Fugitive Slave Bill](http://dp.la/primary-source-sets/the-underground-railroad-and-the-fugitive-slave-act-of-1850/sources/1047), explain what repercussions abolitionists faced if they were caught helping a fugitive slave. Why did abolitionists take such risks? Consider details of abolitionist assistance in [*Running a Thousand Miles for Freedom*](http://dp.la/primary-source-sets/the-underground-railroad-and-the-fugitive-slave-act-of-1850/sources/1046), [*The Underground Railroad from Slavery to Freedom*](http://dp.la/primary-source-sets/the-underground-railroad-and-the-fugitive-slave-act-of-1850/sources/1054), and [*A Woman's Life Work*](http://dp.la/primary-source-sets/the-underground-railroad-and-the-fugitive-slave-act-of-1850/sources/1055), as well as the evidence of the [poster](http://dp.la/primary-source-sets/the-underground-railroad-and-the-fugitive-slave-act-of-1850/sources/1052).


Activity

1. **Upper Elementary/Middle School:**
The [picture and narrative of Lear Green](http://dp.la/primary-source-sets/the-underground-railroad-and-the-fugitive-slave-act-of-1850/sources/1053) can be paired with the picture book *Henry’s Freedom Box* by Ellen Levine, which allows students to examine the Underground Railroad from the perspective of a child. Ask students to create a journal from the perspective of a fugitive slave child, using information from this set and *Henry’s Freedom Box*. The following questions can help students develop their journal entries: What were some fears children had while trying to escape slavery? What motivated them to remain resilient? What do we learn about the importance of liberty and freedom based on these texts? 
2. **Middle School:**
Use the drawing of [Maria Weems](http://dp.la/primary-source-sets/the-underground-railroad-and-the-fugitive-slave-act-of-1850/sources/1044), the [drawing of Ellen Craft](http://dp.la/primary-source-sets/the-underground-railroad-and-the-fugitive-slave-act-of-1850/sources/1045), the drawing called [“Operations of the Fugitive-Slave Law,”](http://dp.la/primary-source-sets/the-underground-railroad-and-the-fugitive-slave-act-of-1850/sources/1050) and the excerpt from [*A Woman's Life Work*](http://dp.la/primary-source-sets/the-underground-railroad-and-the-fugitive-slave-act-of-1850/sources/1055) in conjunction with novels about similar topics. For example, *War Comes to Willy Freeman*, by Christopher and James Lincoln Collier, deals with the issue of women having to disguise themselves in order to survive slavery and war in the United States. Ask students to create posters that portray the trauma enslaved women experienced, explain what motivated them to escape, and describe extreme sacrifices they had to make in order to protect themselves and their children. The class can engage in a gallery walk in which students view each other’s posters and provide feedback. (This activity can be extended to high school if used with Toni Morrison’s *Beloved*.) 
3. **High School/College:**
[*The Underground Railroad from Slavery to Freedom* by William M. Mitchell](http://dp.la/primary-source-sets/the-underground-railroad-and-the-fugitive-slave-act-of-1850/sources/1054) is an excellent resource to include in a curriculum that incorporates Frederick Douglass’s *Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass* and Solomon Northup’s *Twelve Years a Slave*. (The movie would also be a great text to include in the curriculum.) Ask students to write an essay that examines the similarities between the experiences of the three abolitionists, comparing and contrasting rhetorical strategies they used to gain allies in the abolitionist movement. 


Teaching Guide: Exploring the Underground Railroad and the Fugitive Slave Act 

Resources

1. [Runaway Journeys](http://www.inmotionaame.org/migrations/landing.cfm?migration=2), In Motion: The African American Migration Experience, Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. 
2. [Underground Railroad: The William Still Story](http://www.pbs.org/black-culture/shows/list/underground-railroad/home/), PBS. 
3. [The Fugitive Slave Law and Its Impact](http://library.syr.edu/digital/exhibits/u/undergroundrr/case2.htm), Syracuse University. 
4. [National Underground Railroad Freedom Center](http://freedomcenter.org). 
5. [Oh Freedom! Sought Under the Fugitive Slave Act](https://www.docsteach.org/activities/teacher/oh-freedom-sought-under-the-fugitive-slave-act), DocsTeach, US National Archives. 
6. [In Pursuit of Freedom: Crisis Decade](http://pursuitoffreedom.org/crisis-decade/), Brooklyn Historical Society, Weeksville Heritage Center, and Irondale Ensemble Project. 

Overview

The Underground Railroad (1850-1860) was an intricate network of people, safe places, and communities that were connected by land, rail, and maritime routes. It was developed by abolitionists and slaves as a means of escaping the harsh conditions in which African Americans were forced to live, and ultimately to assist them in gaining their freedom. Although securing one’s freedom was challenging, many enslaved persons escaped to free states in the North and to Canada. Free African Americans, however, faced the threat of being returned to a slaveholder as a result of the The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, which required that all escaped enslaved persons be returned, upon capture, to their masters. This primary source set provides teachers and students with resources that reveal the myriad sacrifices enslaved people made in order to gain their freedom, the effects of the Fugitive Slave Law on the lives of free African Americans, and the community that was built among abolitionists and enslaved people. 

English

The Underground Railroad and the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850

underground-railroad-fugitive-slave-act-1850_10_9b645c59000e3fe652ab9def4bc5a138.jpg

Courtesy of New York State Archives via Empire State Digital Network.

“Civil War. Effects of the Fugitive Slave Law, Cartoon from Newspaper,” Digital Public Library of America, https://dp.la/item/a6677babc0f3f1e769ab473e1db98a50.


An 1850 political cartoon, “Effects of the Fugitive Slave Law,” showing four escaped slaves being recaptured by armed white men.

Cite this item

Tips for Students

Item 10 of 15 in the Primary Source Set The Underground Railroad and the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850