Becky Reichuber

10/11/2015

Composition 1

The Underground Railroad played a major role in the south during slavery as a way for slaves to

escape to freedom. Over the course of the slave era something around 100,000 slaves escaped to

freedom using this method. They would have safe houses and “conductors” along the way who could

help guide a slave to freedom safely. One important leader of the Underground Railroad in Kansas was

John Brown, who also famously tried to start a liberation movement among slaves in the 1800’s. He was

considered a terrorist and religious zealot at the time, but his actions in the Underground Railroad saved

many, and his goals were always valuable.

There wasn’t as much need for Underground Railroad stations in Kansas as in other areas

because Kansas was admitted into the United States as a free state in 1861. Before this there were

efforts to help slaves in the territory out, or to move people through the state, but compared to more

deep southern states it wasn’t as important in Kansas.