The Role Of The Underground Railroad In Kansas

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What I Know About…
The Underground Railroad in Kansas.

Just imagine being taken from your home and brought to a place where you have to learn a completely new language, where you are forced to work in less than suitable conditions. A place where your rights to learn to read and write are taken away, and when you try to learn you are punished for it. But then rumors start to rise, secret news starts to spread. Your chance for escape and freedom are just within reach. All you have to do is take it. These were the struggles that so many African-Americans faced in the mid 1800s when they sought to escape from the oppression of slavery. In order for them to find their freedom, they had to embark on a journey that would take them through unknown territories, to trust in strangers that would guide their way, and to suffer uncomfortable conditions to ensure their secret travel. These are the stories of the Underground Railroad.
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Across the country, in both the North and the South there were many who sympathized with the fight against slavery. These extraordinary citizens worked hard to keep the Underground Railroad working so that slaves would have the chance to find their freedom. When we think of the Underground Railroad we often think of the southern states that were involved, or perhaps the northern states. Little do people know that the United States territory of Kansas was involved in the underground railroad. Kansas’ neighbor to the east, Missouri, was already a state and held to the ideals of slavery. While Kansas was not yet a state, there were many disputes as to whether the people would want this land to be a “free state” or a “slave