1. The Underground Railroad was neither “underground” nor a “railroad.”  Rather, the term refers to the 19th century movement of enslaved African Americans seeking freedom, and the assistance they received on their journey.
2. Most sites were not tunnels, secret rooms, or hiding places.  Most fugitives rested in homes or outbuildings.  Few fugitives stayed in one place too long, but some fugitives had to remain in an area for days or even weeks because of bounty hunters in the area or inclement weather.
3. The network that developed united different people-black and white, enslaved and free, and Northern and Southern.  People that did work the UGRR did not come and volunteer their services; fugitives had to ask for help.  This meant that runaway slaves had to use their own wits, which meant a great risk when seeking freedom.  The UGRR was loosely organized and not as structured as people think.
4. Thousands of those seeking independence found it without the help of the UGRR.
5. The UGRR did not just stop in northern U.S. cities.  It also continued north into Canada and went south into Florida and the Louisiana Bayou as well as Cuba and Jamaica.  Other fugitives went west.  Some made it to Alaska by way of whaling ships.
6. There was not just one route.  Those running and those aiding often “created” routes as the need arose.
7. Even though the UGRR was not a railroad, we use railroading terms to describe people and sites of the UGRR.  We call houses where food and shelter could be found “stations;” those who went south to find potential slaves “pilots;” those who guided slaves “conductors;” and the slaves “passengers.”
8. Just because individuals might have been opposed to slavery does not mean that they believed African Americans were equal.  Indiana law required free blacks to register in their county and pay a $500 bond assuring they would not be a nuisance.  The 1851 Indiana Constitution set aside money to send free blacks back to Africa, but did not allow new blacks to settle in Indiana.
9. No evidence has been found that quilts were used as ’signals’ in Indiana.
10. In 1998, the U.S. Congress mandated the National Park Service to complete a contextual study of the UGRR.  The Park Service did preliminary research, established guidelines for research, and challenged the State governments to do their own statewide-research.  The Indiana Department of Natural Resources-Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology was the only state government to take up this challenge.  Today, more states along with grassroots groups are working to find their own state’s UGRR heritage.

Taken from a pamphlet published by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources-Division of Historic Preservation and Archae0logy

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