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.
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Investigate each of the topics listed below by clicking on the resources listed under each topic.
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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.)
Historical Events
(see resources below)
- Cuba, Gullah Islands, Bahamas and Florida
- People who contributed: Harriet Beecher Stowe, Frederick Douglass
- Michigan event: Cassopolis
- Abolitionist Movement
- Women’s Rights Movement
- Modern Slavery
Fort Mose' (mo-say)
- Fort Mose: Colonial America’s Black Fortress of Freedom [history of Fort Mose]
- Welcome to Fort Mose
- Africans in America: Revolution
Gullah/Geechee
"Before I came to this class I thought I knew all the basics of this difficult time in our history. We all know about the slaves and people like Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglas.
What I didn’t know was that there was so much more to the Underground Railroad than the limited information that I had learned."
Student Reflection, Summer 2013
- 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]
Cuba
- Maroons: Rebel Slaves in the Americas [Price, J., Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, Smithsonian Institution]
- The Underground Railroad [Underground Railroad (1820-1861) (The Black Past.org)]
Mexico
- The Black Seminoles: A Historical Overview [Wittich, K.]
Cassopolis, Michigan
- Discover Cass County [discovercasscounty.com/]
- Profile of Cass County MIchigan’s Underground Railroad [Michigan Genealogy, USGenWeb Project]
- Kentucky Raid Mural [Story of the Raid and Creation of the Mural]
- Kentucy Raid Mural [mage by The Road Junkies]
. .."I was surprised to find how important Michigan and the Detroit area were in the Underground Railroad, ... not even knowing Battle Creek had a stop to help slaves escape to Canada."
Student Reflection, Summer 2013
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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