Importance of the Underground Railroad to American History

• Introduction
• Importance
• Quality Lessons
• Challenging Topics
• Technology
• About Course

Why Teach About the Underground Railroad?

 

Introduction

 

The Underground Railroad occurred during one of the most challenging eras in the history of the United States of America.  It is presented as a dramatic event involving freedom seekers migrating toward the northern United States into Canada.  While the experiences of both freedom seekers and members of the Underground Railroad are noted – the impact of the Underground Railroad beyond the Emancipation Proclamation are seldom presented. 

 

There are several reasons why the Underground Railroad was important and should be studied.

 

It was one of the most multicultural collaborative events and protests in United States history as ordinary men and women of many races, religions, and beliefs worked together for social justice.

 

It is a demonstration of how African Americans could organize on their own – dispelling the myth that African  Americans did not resist enslavement.

 

It provided an opportunity for sympathetic Americans to assist in the abolition of slavery.

It demonstrates the creativity and innovation of communication systems and planned escapes.

 

Listen to Dr. Genna Rae McNeil discuss the importance of the Underground Railroad (source: Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History/documentaries).

 

One question your students may ask is,  “Why do we need to study the Underground Railroad today? What does it have to do with anything today?”  To assist you in answering this question, you will travel through history and investigate how various historical events are related to the Underground Railroad.

 

• Investigate each of the topics listed below by clicking on the resources listed under each topic.  

• Take notes focusing on how these events are related to each other. Pay particular attention to the dates of significant events.

• After examining these events, you should be able to  create a more holistic view of Underground Railroad effort.  The relationship and significance of these events should become evident.
• Illustrate the relationship of these events to the Underground Railroad by creating a visual model or graphic using some form of technology (e.g., word cloud [wordle.com], concept map [bubbl.us] - requires basic membership to save, etc.)

 

 

• Gullah/Geechee Nation: Underground Railroad
  [read story about Harriet Tubman]
• Gullah/Geechee Nation's Seminole History and the Underground Railroad
  [video provides a historical overview of West African population]
• The Gullah: Rice Slavery, 7 the Sierra Leone-American Connection [The Gilder Lehrman Center for the Study of Slavery, Resistance, & Abolition, Yale University]

 

Seminoles

• Aboard the Underground Railroad: British Fort [National Park Service (NPS)]
• Florida's Underground Railroad - Part 3 [State Library & Archives of Florida]
• Rebellion: John Horse and the Black Seminoles [Bird, J. D]
• Black Seminoles [Animated Map Series: Key Biscayne]
• The Freedom Seeker [Seminole Newsletter]

 

Texas

• Texas Underground Railroad [Sam Houston University]

 

 

 

 

 

Women's Rights

• Underground Railroad Connection [NPS]
• Women in the Abolition Movement [National Women's History Museum]
• Timeline Story of the Underground Railroad [Bordewich, F.]

 

 

Summary

 

Being able to see the Underground Railroad though a more holistic lens leads to a better understanding of not only why this event is so historically significant but also how it continues to be significant in modern times.  Instead of teaching historical events in isolation, you will be able to show the relationships of these events and provide a comprehensive view of the Underground Railroad and the evolution of the Abolitionist Movement.

 

Next, you will discover how to develop high Quality Lesson Plans using a multicultural approach.

 

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