Runaway Slaves In The 1800s

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Slaves ran away by using secret codes and passages because of the cruelty going on towards them. Slaves would run away from the Southern United States to the Northern United States or Canada to be free but there was certain laws to stop them from achieving their freedom.

One of the most famous passages known for slaves reaching their freedom was the Underground Railroad. The Underground Railroad was a secret system organized by conductors or engineers who helped women, children and men escape from slavery. The Underground Railroad furnished them with food, safe places to hide and most of the time transportation. During the passage to freedom there was stations or safe houses where the slaves would hide from being captured. Things that happened in the Underground Railroad were a secret, it was unseeable to most people. …show more content…
There was Fugitives Slave Acts that meant within all the United States you are allowed to capture and return runaway slaves back to their masters. Sometimes they would reward those who would capture a runaway slave. The Fugitive Slave Acts were first made by Congress in 1793. The Fugitive Slave Acts was revised in 1850 to make it harder for runaway slaves to reach their freedom and stronger punishments if they were captured. The new laws said that no citizen can help a runaway slave and if you got captured helping a runaway slave you would be fined $1000 or put in jail for 6 months. The Fugitive Slave Acts of 1850 also refused slaves the right to a jury trial. The Fugitive Slave Acts made it much more difficult for slaves to reach their freedom. This made them ask if their is still hope to live a normal, free, successful life. Now their goal was to make it to Canada without getting captured. Making it to the Northern United States doesn’t mean they are safe it is just another challenge in their way from reaching their

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