FAQ
What was the Underground Railroad?
The Underground Railroad was network of people and pathways in which slaves took to reach freedom.
Who was Moses?
Moses was Harriet Tubman, a run away slave who went back to the south to free hundreds of slaves. She was the conductor of the Underground Railroad.
What was a "Safe House"?
A Safe House was a house that the slaves could go to and be safe.
What was hanging on the lamp post to tell the slaves it was safe?
A lantern was hanging on the lamp post.
About how many slaves were free from the south using the Underground Railroad?
About 6,000 slaves reached freedom.
Who were the Quackers?
White people who didn't believe in slavery.
Where did the slaves have to go to find freedom?
Canada was the place for the slaves to find freedom.
Contact
Ellen Vonderahe
Search site
Harriet Tubman:
Did you know that Harriet Tubman also known as "Moses" was a slave who ran away and escaped to freedom. She was the founder of the Underground Railroad. The Underground Railroad wasn't an actual railroad, it was trails or pathways that slaves used to guide them to Canada where they could be free. Harriet was called the "Conductor" because she was the person to guide the slaves through the Underground Railroad. Harriet went back to the south 19 times to guide more then 300 slaves to freedom. Harriet didn't do this work all on her own, she had 100's of people along the way to help the slaves find freedom. You can find out more about Harriet using the URR links.
"The Stairway to Freedom"
This photograph shows the "Freedom Stairway," the one hundred steps leading from the Ohio River to the John Rankin House in Ripley, a station on the Underground Railroad. John Rankin (1793-1886) was a Presbyterian minister and educator who devoted much of his life to the antislavery movement. The house has several secret rooms in which slaves were hidden. A light was placed in the window of the house to indicate that it was safe for slaves to approach. The John Rankin House is now a museum, part of the Ohio Historical Society's state-wide network of historic sites.
