The Underground Railroad

Term Paper # 115839

African-American Studies > Slavery

A in-depth look at the Underground Railroad as an escape route for slaves in America.

3,115 words () | 10 sources | MLA | 2009 Kenya

Paper Summary:

The paper discusses how the Underground Railroad was the safest escape route for slaves. The paper notes the role of Isaac T. Hopper and Harriet Tubman in the Underground Railroad and describes how the route worked. In addition, the paper paints a picture of slaves' humiliating and unbearable life that led to their desperate quest for freedom.

From the Paper:

"For the better part of their lives, slaves lived under constant threat of whip administered by rough overseers and their masters, who punished them at the slightest offence. An attempt to disobey the whip sometimes could lead to death. These, combined with more than thirteen hours of intense labor every day under scorching sun are some of the reasons as to why the slaves, so badly needed to escape in search of freedom and a better life. Methods of escape were as many and as ingenious as the thousands of slaves who had already made up their minds and decided that it was time to move on and look for freedom. Before slaves escaped, they needed to ensure that they had enough supplies food, water, and clothes because the journey up north was long and tough (Borderwich 25)."

Sample of Sources Used:

Blockson, Charles. The Underground Railroad New York, Prentice Hall Press,1987.
Borderwich, Fergus. The Underground Railroad New York, Harper Collins Publishers, 2005.
Edwards, Pamela. Barefoot: Escape the Underground Railroad, New York: Harper Collins, 1997.
Gorrell, Gena .North Star To Freedom. New York, Delacorte Press, 1996.
Howard, Richard. Black Cargo .New York GP. Putman's sons, 1972.