The Freedom Seeker

The Underground Railroad was a network of individuals, homes, and hideouts that helped enslaved people in the Unites States escape to freedom. It was not a physical railroad, but rather a term that described this network of people helping people escape slavery. “Underground” captured the secrecy of the movement and “railroad” referred to transporting people to freedom. The Underground Railroad often used railroad terms. People who guided the enslaved were called conductors. Hideouts and homes where the enslaved hid along the route were called stations.