The Underground Railroad And The American Civil War

In 1619, the first Africans arrived in Jamestown, Virginia setting in motion one of the darkest eras in American history. Slavery would continue throughout the 17th and 18th centuries and eventually divide the nation in the bloody battles of the American Civil War (1861 – 1865). On January 1, 1863, four million slaves were freed when President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. However, the road to freedom for many slaves was long and brutal. Countless African American slaves were tortured and terrorized and many lost their lives. In the early 1800s, a secret network of routes and safe houses was established to help fugitive slaves reach freedom. This system became known as the Underground Railroad and spanned across twenty-nine states. Routes also led to Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean. Historians believe the origins of the Underground Railroad can be traced back to the Quakers (Penrice). Without the courageous efforts of the dedicated Quaker men and women, the Underground Railroad would not have been successful in leading an estimated 100,000 slaves to freedom (Myths of the Underground Railroad). When British Colonial America was first colonized, a lack of labor to work the land became a dilemma. Indentured servants from Europe were initially used but as the agricultural economy grew, so did the demand for cheap labor. The problem was resolved with the introduction of African slaves. With the completion of the American-built ship,Show MoreRelatedUnderground Railroad Essay Outline1333 Words   |  6 PagesTHE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD 1 The Underground Railroad Raymond Allen Setlock West Catholic High School THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD 2 Our country’s history had its good times and also its bad times. 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