• The
Underground Railroad is not a railroad and does not go underground. It is a network of escape routs that
helped black slaves escape to Canada from the United States. Starting
as early as the 1780`s there were
conductors as they called them , who would hide the escaped slaves and phrases to help them find
the secret codes and phrases to help them find
the next safe house along the railroad .
They went from safe house to safe house until they were free. The underground railroad reached its peak
between 1830. Runaways used the North Star at night to help them
travel. They went through forests,
mountains and back roads. They hid in places like barns , cellars , wagons and aboard ships. The
slaves had to keep changing the route
so they would not get caught. Very few records
were were kept but it is believed that
40,000 slaves escaped from their masters. There were slaves in Canada also. In
Nova Scotia escaped slaves made their
homes in Preston, Upper Hammonds
Plans, Guysbrough, Lincolnville, Tracodie, Milford Haven and Boy Iston.
