Underground Railroad Marker

In the Delta 65 area, there are historical markers, indicating the Underground Railroad routes. The Underground Railroad was a network of people who helped slaves escape to the North and to Canada towards the end of the 18th century; consisting of many individuals, white and black, who knew only of the local efforts, and not the overall operation. According to one estimate, over 100,000 slaves left the South between 1810 and 1850 using the Underground Railroad.

Since the Underground Railroad was a loose association of people, and not a system of tracks, a typical flight to freedom involved many miles of walking, usually at night to avoid detection, traveling between 10 and 20 miles each night, hiding in barns and other out-of-the-way places. It is possible to see these patterns in the escape routes, such as the Mississippi river and the Appalachian Mountains.

The Fugitive Slave Bill of 1850 made it more dangerous for runaways to stay in urban areas in the North. Therefore, more slaves continued on to Canada or to the Caribbean in the aftermath of this bill.

Educational efforts nationwide integrate local historical places associated with the Underground Railroad, in an effort to preserve and research sites.

Built upon and support by community initiatives around the country, the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Act of 1998 serves to develop communication and networking between researchers and interested parties, and sites may be eligible to use or display a uniform network logo, receive technical assistance, and participate in program workshops.  

Links for even more information and sources:

http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/travel/underground/ 

http://education.ucdavis.edu/NEW/STC/lesson/socstud/railroad/Map.htm 

http://www.cr.nps.gov/nhl/themes/themes.htm 

National ParksServiceWeb site: http://www.nps.gov/undergroundrr/contents.htm