What Part Did Michigan Play on the Underground Railroad? By: Jordan R.

Slavery Was Bad Slavery was bad and was against our Core Democratic Values. Slaves could not own land, property, or anything. Slaves also had no rights to their own children.

How did the Underground Railroad Get Its Name? There is a story of a runaway slave named Tice Davids. He ran away from his owner. His owner said, “ He must have gone on a railroad !” People began to say he went on The Underground Railroad. The name stuck.

Would White Men Help Slaves? Yes. Some white men would. William Lloyd Garrison wrote an article about how slavery was unfair. An angry mob beat him up and the police put him in jail to save him. He wrote on the wall, “William Lloyd Garrison was put into this cell on Monday afternoon, October 21, 1835, to save him from the violence of a mob, who sought to destroy him from preaching that all men are created equal.”

William Lloyd Garrison All men are created equal are a part of our Core Democratic Values.

Quaker House (AKA Safe House) People who were on The Underground Railroad went to Quaker houses. There, they would hide there, eat, sleep, maybe get healed from wounds and go to another Quaker house and do the same thing until you get to a free state. A Quaker is a family who thinks that slavery shouldn’t be allowed and would like to help.

What is a Conductor? Conductors are people who got free, but go back and help others get freed. Harriet Tubman was a famous conductor. When she heard that her niece was about to go south in an auction, she wanted to help her niece be free.

Conductor (Continued) So, she went back, got her niece and family and freed others from then on. When she was older, she said, “I was a conductor and I never let one person go.”

The North Star If you needed help on The Underground Railroad you would follow the North Star. The North Star lead you to freedom. If you didn’t see the North Star, you would follow the moss.

What Happened if you Got Caught? If your owner’s helper catches you, you would probably get whipped, chained up, locked in your room, or killed. Some slaves killed themselves because they’d rather die than be a slave.

What else Happened on The Underground Railroad? The Underground Railroad didn’t help people get free, but also it helped people find friends and family. William Still was on The Underground Railroad when he found a stranger. They talked and talked and finally he found out that he was his long lost brother!

Why was Michigan Important? Michigan was important to the slaves’ escape to freedom because Detroit is close to Canada, and in Canada, slavery was already illegal!

Why was Michigan Important (continued)? Slaves lived in the southern states, like Kentucky, Alabama, Mississippi, South Carolina, and North Carolina. They did not have cars or trains, so they had to walk to Michigan. To get to Michigan by foot took them several months. Can you imagine walking for months at a time?

What Cities in Michigan Helped Slaves? Some cities in Michigan where slaves could get help were: Detroit, Trenton, Adrian, Ann Arbor, and Battle Creek. “Midnight” was the code name for Detroit, the most important gateway to Canada on the Underground Railroad.

What Cities in Michigan Helped Slaves (continued)? The Second Baptist Church in Detroit was a resting place for escaped slaves and those who helped them. This church still exists in Detroit. My grandmother used to be a member of this church.

Strange Wagons at Goodell’s Farm The Goodell farm was located in Adrian, Michigan. In the barn were strange wagons with covers on them. Mr. Goodell’s son was confused why the wagons were in their barn. Mr. Goodell knew the answer. He and others used the wagons to transport and hide escaped slaves.

How Come So Many People Came To Detroit? With its churches and ministers, the Detroit area attracted a number of blacks who were against slavery and secretly worked on The Underground Railroad.

George De Baptiste’s Ship George De Baptiste was a black businessman and member of the Second Baptist Church in Detroit. He bought a ship, the T. Whitney, to take escaped slaves across the Detroit River to Canada.

Conclusion In summary, slavery was bad and against our Core Democratic Values, so many people, black and white helped slaves escape. Michigan was important to helping slaves get their freedom by having Safe Houses and churches on The Underground Railroad to help them get to Canada. I am glad to live in Michigan.

Sources rg/mg_ed/educational/ UndergroundRR.html rg/mg_ed/educational/ UndergroundRR.html The Underground Railroad In Michigan, by Carol E. Mull If You Traveled On The Underground Railroad…, by Ellen Levine