The Underground Railroad

Abolitionists

The slave population in the United States continued to grow, and by 1861 when the Civil War began, there were around four million slaves. There were nineteen free states, where slavery was illegal, and fifteen slave states, where slavery was legal. The slave states were all in the South, where there were large plantations that needed lots of labor.

Whether slavery should be allowed or not had divided the country for generations, including among the Founding Fathers. There were many arguments among government officials and regular people. People who opposed slavery were called abolitionists. William Lloyd Garrison, a white man, was one of the strongest leaders of the abolitionist movement. He lived in Massachusetts, and grew up poor. He worked his entire life. In 1831, he began publishing a newspaper called The Liberator that called for the end of slavery. Many people didn’t like reading his work, and Garrison received death threats. Georgia even offered a $5,000 reward for his capture. But he persisted. He became a cofounder of the American Anti-Slavery Society in 1833, and by 1838, it had over 1,350 chapters across the North.

In 1841, twenty-three-year-old Frederick Douglass spoke at an Anti-Slavery Society meeting in Nantucket, Massachusetts. He spoke so well, people were surprised to learn he was once a slave. In 1845, he published an autobiography titled Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave. In it, he described the horrors of slavery, and his struggle to become literate. By publishing his novel and admitting he was a slave, he opened himself up to potentially being captured and returned to slavery. At one point, he had to escape to England to avoid capture. But he continued to fight back against slavery.

Many women were also active in the abolitionist movement. Sojourner Truth was born into slavery in 1797 as Isabella Baumfree. She was a slave in New York, and she had been sold many times throughout her life. Her last master, John Dumont, promised her slavery, but was lying. At age twenty-nine, she ran away with her daughter. When Isaac and Maria Van Wagenen took her in, her prayers were answered. Eventually, Dumont tracked her down and demanded she hand over her baby. The Wagenens paid him twenty dollars for Isabella and her baby, and Dumont went home empty-handed. Later, she changed her name to Sojourner Truth and she traveled across America telling people the truth about the evils of slavery.

Helping slaves and speaking out against slavery was risky. But many people took that risk because they refused to give up their belief that all people should be free.

Ripped Apart!

Right before the Walkers’ escape to freedom, the worst thing happens. Master Stevens sells Poppa and Sam. He puts Sam in a wagon, chained and shackled. Poppa is on the ground, also chained. Addy clings to Poppa, refusing to let go. Poppa tells Addy that everything is going to be fine, but how can that be true?

Addy holds tighter. She hears the whip crack above her head, sounding like a gunshot. She feels the lash of fire hit her back. She pulls closer to Poppa. Master Stevens threatens to whip Addy again. Poppa urges Addy to let go. Master Stevens pulls Addy back and throws her into Momma’s arms. Momma and Addy are both sobbing so loud crows fly up from the fields. But Poppa’s not crying. He’s put into the wagon with Sam, and the wagon pulls away. Addy fears she’ll never see them again.

Later, Addy confesses to Momma that she hates white people. Momma, with a sigh, says that if Addy fills her heart with hate, there won’t be any room left for love. Poppa and Sam need Addy to fill her heart with love for them, not hate for white people.