Underground+Railroad

= **Underground Railroad** = =Contrary to what its name might suggest, the underground railroad was neither a railroad nor underground. Rather, it was a large, decentralized network of individuals who helped fugitive slaves escape to free havens in the North and in Canada. The process of escaping the South was anything but easy; they first had to flee their cruel masters and slave owners, a task undertaken on one's own resources, secretly in the darkness of the night. Then, these courageous runaways would be led northwards by "conductors", the equally brave people who helped guide these former slaves to safety and freedom.=

Link: [] = = =The Underground Railroad served as one of the most prominent and influential means of protest and revolt against the institution of slavery in the United States. Consequently, the movement had a tremendous impact on the future events of the Civil War. It could even be said that the underground railroad was the primary catalyst for this momentous conflict in American history.=

=It is generally accepted that the major underlying cause of the Civil War is slavery, whether in a political, social, or economic sense. Also true is that with the rise of the Underground Railroad came a dramatic rise in the number of fugitive slaves, to the point where Congress passed The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, declaring that all runaway slaves must be returned to their masters. The slave-owners were clearly not happy with the loss of their slaves, who were their primary sources of labor and wealth. They often regarded this practice as a theft of property and a threat to their very livelihood. Without as many slaves, who formed the basis of much of the agricultural Southern economy, many of their vital industries were slowing, with goods such as tobacco and cotton not being harvested and planted as quickly as before. In addition, the Act that was passed in 1850 polarized the country a great degree further than it had already been. Ultimately, they forced the Northern States to defend an institution many of them so adamantly opposed. Now, the non-radical, moderate abolitionists were forced to choose between betraying their principles or breaking the law. Many chose the latter and took a defiant stance against what they considered to be a fundamentally unjust and immoral system. The law only helped further their determination.=

=Eventually these tensions began to add up. The South was angry that one of their most precious resources was being taken from them, often times illegally. What they saw was a blatant disregard for the rule of law and a lack of care when it came to their issues. On the other hand, many in the North perceived slavery as a violation of basic constitutionally granted rights. The Underground Railroad was the movement that allowed these feelings to develop to the point of no return: war was imminent.=