The Underground Railroad was not a railroad, nor did it run underground. It was a system by which slaves used to
escape from the South to freedom. Slaves would hide during the day under the safety of black and white people alike.
During the night, friends of the Underground Railroad would move the slaves to next place.
In 1831, the Underground Railroad got its name when a runaway slave was chased across the Ohio River. The slave
catchers were close behind him and watched closely as he swam across the river. As the slave catchers searched for a
boat, they saw the slave reach the other side and vanish from sight. The slave catchers never found a trace of him and
stated, "He must have gone on an underground road." Thus the phrase Underground Railroad was born. The friends
who guided the runaway slaves became known as "conductors" and the hiding places were referred to as "stations."
Levi Coffin, was known as the President of the Underground Railroad. He was an Indiana Quaker who helped more than
3,000 slaves escape to freedom. One of the most well known conductors was Harriet Tubman. She escaped slavery
in Maryland, but returned 19 times to bring over 300 fugitives on the Underground Railroad.
